The 10 largest dams in the world.. Dams are some of the most massive structures ever built by humanity, leaving a huge footprint wherever they are located.

In fact, dams have gradually become an essential part of human infrastructure. These vast structures are used to generate power, store water and control floods.

Dams certainly play an important role in the lives of billions of people every day.

Dams are usually large, in fact very large.

But which dams are bigger? Well, that depends on how you look at it!!

Here, we'll look at water capacity, but there are other comparisons (such as total height or power produced).

Top 10 largest dams in the world

10. Robert Bourassa Dam - Canada

This dam is located, In the Canadian province of Quebec It contains a reservoir of 61.7 billion cubic metres of water covering nearly three square kilometres.

The dam was constructed from 1974 to 1981, and currently has a generating capacity of 5,616 megawatts.

In fact, the dam is named after Robert Bourassa, the former provincial premier who oversaw the James Bay Project, the construction of a series of hydroelectric plants that created one of the largest of its kind in the world.

Robert Bourassa Dam - Canada

9. Zia Dam - Russia

Constructed from 1964 to 1975, the dam was built on the Zeya River in the Amur Oblast of Russia, north of the Chinese border.

The Zeya Reservoir, with a storage capacity of 68.42 billion cubic meters, is the ninth largest dam based on reservoir capacity, and the reservoir covers an area of 2,419 square kilometers.

The dam's power plant consists of six generating units with a combined capacity of 1,290 MW.

In fact, more than two billion cubic metres of concrete were used to build the dam, which is 112 metres high and 714 metres long.

The Baikal-Amur Main Railway runs along the northern shore, where a bridge has been built.

Zeya Dam - Russia

8. Krasnoyarsk Dam – Russia

It is the eighth largest dam in the world, located on Yenisei River In Siberia.

Create a tank Krasnoyarsk With a storage capacity of 73.3 billion cubic meters.

The dam was built from 1956 to 1972, when it was mainly used to supply power to the local aluminum plant in Krasnoyarsk.

Its construction was such a significant development for the country that the government decided to depict the dam on a 10-ruble banknote – it was printed in 1998 but discontinued in 2010.

Krasnoyarsk Dam - Russia

7. W. E. C. Bennett Dam – Canada

The dam was built on the Peace River in British Columbia It ranks seventh in size with a storage capacity of about 74 billion cubic meters and covers an area of 1,773 square kilometers.

On the other hand, the Finley, Carnival, and Peace Rivers feed into Williston Lake, also referred to as Williston Reservoir, which was created as part of the project.

The dam is named after the province's former prime minister who promoted its construction as part of an economic development plan.

Construction began in 1961 and was completed in 1967 at a cost of $750 million.

As for its production capacity, it is 2790 megawatts, and it began generating electricity in 1968.

W. E. C. Bennett Dam - Canada

6. Aswan High Dam - Egypt

It is the largest dam on the Nile River, and the sixth largest dam in the world based on water storage capacity.

As for his closet, it is Lake Nasser Named after former President Gamal Nasser, it has a storage capacity of 132 billion cubic metres.

This dam generates 2,100 megawatts and also provides water for agriculture in Egypt and Sudan.

In fact, the dam is seen as pivotal to Egypt's industrialization, with its ability to control floods and generate electricity, and is considered one of the 10 largest dams in the world.

Aswan High Dam

5. Gori Dam – Venezuela

The fifth largest dam by reservoir volume is officially known as the Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Located in Venezuela It has a reservoir of 135 billion cubic meters, the dam is 162 meters high and 7.5 kilometers long.

In fact it was the most powerful in the world for many years with a capacity of 10,200 megawatts.

Construction was completed in two phases, beginning in 1963 and 1986.

A modernization project for the dam is currently underway.

It is located 100 km downstream of the Caroni River. Necuima Canyon In the Orinoco region.

Guri Dam - Venezuela

4. Daniel Johnson Dam – Canada

This dam, also known as the Manic 5 Dam, is located on river Manicouagan, creating the Manicouagan Reservoir with a storage capacity of 139.8 billion cubic metres.

The reservoir is the fourth largest reservoir in the world, the dam is 213.9 metres high and 1,310 metres long, and was constructed using 2.2 million cubic metres of concrete.

It was built from 1959 to 1968 with a production capacity of 2,660 MW.

It was actually named after Daniel Johnson, the 20th Premier of Quebec, who was responsible for starting the project while in office, and who died on the day he was supposed to preside over the dam's opening.

Daniel Johnson Dam - Canada

3. Akosombo Dam – Ghana

Also known as the Volta Dam, it is the third largest dam based on water storage capacity.

It was built on Volta River And he created Lake Volta With an area of 8,500 square kilometers, it is the largest reservoir in the world in terms of area.

The dam's crest is 700 metres long and 134 metres high, and included 12 million cubic metres of surface excavations, making it one of the 10 largest dams in the world.

Akosombo Dam - Ghana

2. Bratsk Dam – Russia

Located in Siberia, it ranks second in the world thanks to its reservoir of 169.27 billion cubic meters.

This dam is located on the Angara River and the reservoir it creates covers an area of 5,540 square kilometers.

It is 125 metres high and 1,452 metres long, is topped by a railway and highway and has a production capacity of 4,500 megawatts.

It was built by 1965. Its construction proved extremely difficult, as winter temperatures in Siberia can drop to -58°C and there is frost 281 days a year.

In addition, Bratsk is very far from materials and labor supplies.

Moreover, there are three other dams along the Angara River (Irkutsk, Ust-Ilim, and Poguchany).

Bratsk Dam - Russia

1. Kariba Dam – Zimbabwe

Located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, this massive dam is the largest in terms of water storage capacity.

Located in the former Kariba Valley, the dam creates Lake Kariba – with a storage capacity of 185 billion cubic metres of water and a surface area of 5,580 square kilometres.

Construction of the dam began in 1956 and was completed in 1959. The dam provides about 6,700 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which is generated by the North and South Bank Companies in Kariba.

In fact, the dam came at a huge cost, requiring the resettlement of more than 30,000 members of the Batonka tribe in Zambia and the evacuation of thousands of wildlife.

Some Africans initially opposed the construction of the dam, but later, the dam was accepted because of the inexpensive electricity it provided to Zambia's thriving copper industry.

Kariba Dam - Zimbabwe