COMPARATIVE GLOBAL REVIEW OF DAM FAILURES: MINING TAILINGS VERSUS HYDRO, INDUSTRIAL, AND CIVIL DAMS — CAUSES, MECHANISMS, AND LESSONS LEARNED
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47820/recima21.v7i1.7147Keywords:
Dam failure; Tailings dams. Hydroelectric dams. Industrial damsAbstract
Dam failures constitute some of the most severe technological disasters worldwide, with impacts extending beyond infrastructure loss to significant human, environmental, economic, and social consequences. Although failures of mining tailings dams have attracted intensified scrutiny in recent decades, dams associated with hydroelectric generation, industrial residue containment, civil infrastructure, road works, and agricultural water storage have also experienced recurrent and, in many cases, catastrophic failures throughout history. Despite sharing fundamental geotechnical and hydraulic principles, these structures differ markedly in design philosophy, construction methods, operational practices, and regulatory oversight. This review presents a comprehensive, comparative analysis of dam failures across mining and non-mining sectors, integrating historical and contemporary case studies to systematically examine failure causes, rupture mechanisms, triggering factors, and resulting consequences. Particular emphasis is placed on distinguishing mechanisms characteristic of tailings dams—such as static and dynamic liquefaction of contractive materials—from those more prevalent in conventional embankment and concrete dams, including overtopping, internal erosion, and foundation instability. Beyond technical factors, the analysis highlights the critical role of governance, operational decision-making, and risk management in shaping failure outcomes across all dam categories, demonstrating that many catastrophic events arise from common vulnerability pathways, including inadequate water management, insufficient monitoring, underestimation of extreme events, and weak regulatory enforcement. By identifying transferable lessons and cross-sectoral insights, this review supports the development of more robust, integrated, and risk-based dam safety frameworks aimed at improving prevention, early warning, and long-term resilience of dams worldwide.
Downloads
References
ADAMO, N.; AL-ANSARI, N.; SISSAKIAN, V.; LAUE, J.; KNUTSSON, S. Dam safety: Monitoring of tailings dams and safety reviews. Journal of Earth Sciences and Geotechnical Engineering, v. 11, n. 1, p. 249–289, 2021. https://doi.org/10.47260/jesge/1117 DOI: https://doi.org/10.47260/jesge/1117
AGURTO-DETZEL, H.; BIANCHI, M.; ASSUMPÇÃO, M.; SCHIMMEL, M.; COLLAÇO, B.; CIARDELLI, C.; BARBOSA, J. R.; CALHAU, J. The tailings dam failure of 5 November 2015 in SE Brazil and its preceding seismic sequence. Geophysical Research Letters, v. 43, n. 10, p. 4929–4936, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069257
AMOAH, P.; EWEJE, G. Barriers to environmental sustainability practices of multinational mining companies in Ghana: An institutional complexity perspective. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, v. 22, n. 2, p. 364–384, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2021-0229 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2021-0229
APRAHAMIAN, V.; AMIRKHANIAN, A.; VOSKANYAN, M.; MOVSISYAN, H.; ARAKELYAN, A.; HAYRAPETYAN, V. Mining monitoring toolkit: Guide to environmental, health, social, disaster resilience, and economic aspects of mining. [S. l.: s. n.], 2022.
AZAM, S.; LI, Q. Tailings dam failures: A review of the last one hundred years. Geotechnical News, v. 28, n. 4, p. 50–54, 2010.
BOWKER, L. N.; CHAMBERS, D. M. The risk, public liability, and economics of tailings storage facility failures. [S. l.]: Earthworks, 2015.
CLARKSON, L.; WILLIAMS, D. An overview of conventional tailings dam geotechnical failure mechanisms. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, v. 38, n. 3, p. 1305–1328, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-021-00381-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-021-00381-3
CRUZ, C. O.; SOARES, H. N.; LIMA, H. M. Tailings dams’ classification based on risk using data from SIGBM. Cadernos de Pesquisa em Engenharia de Produção, v. 21, n. 3, 2024. https://doi.org/10.54033/cadpedv21n3-164 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54033/cadpedv21n3-164
D’HYPPOLITO, L. C. S.; SAYÃO, A.; NUNES, A. L. L. A simple method for assessing the probability of liquefaction of tailings dams. Soils and Rocks, v. 47, n. 4, e2024000924, 2024. https://doi.org/10.28927/SR.2024.000924 DOI: https://doi.org/10.28927/SR.2024.000924
DARLING, P. (Ed.). SME mining engineering handbook. [S. l.]: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 2011. (Vol. 1).
DAVIES, M. P. Tailings impoundment failures: Are geotechnical engineers listening? Geotechnical News, v. 20, n. 3, p. 31–36, 2002.
DENEALE, S. T.; BAECHER, G. B.; STEWART, K. M.; SMITH, E. D.; WATSON, D. B. Current state-of-practice in dam safety risk assessment (ORNL/TM-2019/1069). [S. l.]: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2172/1592163 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2172/1607224
ĐOKIĆ, J.; ARSIĆ, N.; MILENTIJEVIĆ, G. Natural disasters in industrial areas. In: Natural risk management and engineering: NatRisk project. New York: Springer, 2020. p. 89–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39391-5_5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39391-5_5
DOYLE, K. The safety and sustainability of mining at diverse scales: Placing health and safety at the core of responsibility. [S. l.: s. n.], 2023.
FASK ING, T.; MOHSENI, O.; HANSEN, T. Risk-informed methodology for prioritizing responses associated with mine waste. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste. Barr Engineering Co, 2015. p. xx–xx. https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/59368/1.0340521/5
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. Federal guidelines for dam safety risk management. [S. l.]: FEMA, 2015.
FELL, R.; WAN, C. F.; CYGANIEWICZ, J.; FOSTER, M. Time for development of internal erosion and piping in embankment dams. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, v. 129, n. 4, p. 307–314, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2003)129:4(307) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2003)129:4(307)
FOSTER, M.; FELL, R.; SPANNAGLE, M. The statistics of embankment dam failures and accidents. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, v. 37, n. 5, p. 1000–1024, 2000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/t00-030
FRANKEN, G.; SCHÜTTE, P. Current trends in addressing environmental and social risks in mining and mineral supply chains by regulatory and voluntary approaches. Mineral Economics, v. 35, n. 3, p. 653–671, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-022-00309-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13563-022-00309-3
GUIMARÃES, R. N.; MOREIRA, V. R.; CRUZ, J. R.; SALIBA, A. P.; AMARAL, M. C. History of tailings dam failure: Impacts on access to safe water and influence on the legislative framework. Science of the Total Environment, v. 852, 158536, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158536 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158536
ICOLD. Dam safety management: Operational phase of the dam life cycle (Bulletin 154). [S. l.]: International Commission on Large Dams, 2011.
ICOLD. Global industry standard on tailings management. [S. l.]: International Commission on Large Dams, 2020. https://globaltailingsreview.org
ICOLD. World register of dams. [S. l.]: International Commission on Large Dams, n. d. https://www.icold-cigb.org/GB/world_register/world_register_of_dams.asp
INDEPENDENT EXPERT PANEL. Global industry standard on tailings management. [S. l.]: UNEP, ICMM & PRI, 2020.
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON MINING AND METALS. Tailings management. [S. l.]: ICMM, 2025 https://www.icmm.com/tailings-management
ISLAM, K.; MURAKAMI, S. Global-scale impact analysis of mine tailings dam failures: 1915–2020. Global Environmental Change, v. 70, 102361, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.10236 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102361
JARVIE-EGGART, M. E. (Ed.). Responsible mining: Case studies in managing social & environmental risks in the developed world. [S. l.]: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 2015.
KELLOW, A.; SIMMS, M. Mining industry association at multiple levels of governance: Drilling down. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021.
KENGNI, B. Strengthening decision-making processes to promote water sustainability in the South African mining context. 2020. Doctoral (dissertation) - University of Cape Town, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32503
KOSSOFF, D.; DUBBIN, W. E.; ALFREDSSON, M.; EDWARDS, S. J.; MACKLIN, M. G.; HUDSON-EDWARDS, K. A. Mine tailings dams: Characteristics, failure, environmental impacts, and remediation. Applied Geochemistry, v. 51, p. 229–245, 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.09.010
KURSUNOGLU, S. A review on the recovery of critical metals from mine and mineral processing tailings: Recent advances. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy, v. 11, p. 2023–2050, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-025-01126-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-025-01126-y
LACASSE, S.; LIU, Z. Q.; PICIULLO, L. An integrated risk assessment and management framework for mine tailings storage facilities. In: Next Generation Tailings – Opportunity or Risk? [S. l.]: SAIMM, 2023.
LUMBROSO, D.; DAVISON, M.; BODY, R.; PETKOVŠEK, G. Modelling the Brumadinho tailings dam failure, the subsequent loss of life and how it could have been reduced. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, v. 21, p. 21–37, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-21-2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-21-2021
MACEDO, J.; BRAY, J. D.; OLSON, S. M.; WINCKLER, C.; RIDLEN, P.; MORRISON, K. F. Liquefaction and TSF failures. GeoStrata, v. 29, n. 3, p. 48–54, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1061/geosek.0000633 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/geosek.0000633
MCLEOD, H.; BJELKEVIK, A. Tailings dam design: Technology update. In: Proceedings of the 85th Annual Meeting of ICOLD. 2017.
MORGENSTERN, N. R.; VICK, S. G.; VIOTTI, C. B.; WATTS, B. D. Fundão tailings dam review panel: Report on the causes of the failure. Belo Horizonte: Samarco Mineração S.A, 2016.
MORRISON, K. F. (Ed.). Tailings management handbook: A lifecycle approach. [S. l.] Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1061/geosek.0000635
MORRISON, K. F.; ADAMS, A. Tailings management: Collaborative initiatives for positive change. GeoStrata, v. 29, n. 3, p. 64–71, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/geosek.0000635
OBONI, F.; OBONI, C. Tailings dam management for the twenty-first century. New York: Springer, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19447-5
OLIVA-GONZÁLEZ, A. O.; BUTLANSKA, J.; FERNÁNDEZ-MERODO, J. A.; RODRÍGUEZ-PACHECO, R. L. Forensic investigation of the seepage-induced flow failure at La Luciana tailings storage facility. Minerals, v. 15, n. 11, 1131, 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/min15111131
OSMANOVA, A. International practice of compensation for damage caused by environmental violations in tailings storage facilities. Grassroots Journal of Natural Resources, v. 8, n 1, 964–988, 2025. https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.0801 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33002/nr2581.6853.080141
OWEN, J. R.; KEMP, D.; LÉBRE, É.; SVOBODOVA, K.; MURILLO, G. P. Catastrophic tailings dam failures and disaster risk disclosure. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, v. 42, 101361, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101361 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2019.101361
PAGE, M. J.; MCKENZIE, J. E.; BOSSUYT, P. M. et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement. BMJ, v. 372, n. 71, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
PEREIRA, A. C. Mining waste valorization for construction materials. KR Journal of Engineering and Technology, v. 1, n. 3, 2025c. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17682185
PEREIRA, A. C. Mining, cities, and development. Revista FT – Ciências Exatas e da Terra, v. 29, n. 152, 2025d. https://doi.org/10.69849/revistaft/ar10202511120213 DOI: https://doi.org/10.69849/revistaft/ar10202511120213
PEREIRA, A. C. Static liquefaction in tailings and fine ores (2020–2025). Revista FT – Engenharias, v. 29, n. 152, 2025b. https://doi.org/10.69849/revistaft/ni10202511292312 DOI: https://doi.org/10.69849/revistaft/ni10202511292312
PEREIRA, A. C. Tailings liquefaction and dam stability: Advances in diagnosis, monitoring, standards and mitigation. REMUNOM, v. 21, n. 2, 2025a. https://doi.org/10.61164/erfqjg05 DOI: https://doi.org/10.61164/erfqjg05
PEREIRA, A. C. Transformation of goethite into hematite. KR Journal of Engineering and Technology, v. 1, n. 2, 2025e. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17265013
PEREIRA, A. C.; FONSECA, R. B. C.; SANTOS, J. R. Liquefaction of iron ore fines in maritime transport. Studies in Engineering and Exact Sciences, v. 6, n. 2, 2025. https://doi.org/10.54021/seesv6n2-013 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54021/seesv6n2-013
PETLEY, D. N. Global patterns of loss of life from landslides. Geology, v. 40, n. 10, p. 927–930, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1130/G33217.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1130/G33217.1
PETLEY, D. N.; DUNNING, S. A.; ROSSER, N. J. Analysis of global landslide risk. Natural Hazards, v. 85, p. 155–170, 2017.
READ, J.; STACEY, P. Guidelines on tailings dams. [S. l.]: ANCOLD, 2009.
RICO, M.; BENITO, G.; DIEZ-HERRERO, A. Floods from tailings dam failures. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 154, n. 1–3, p. 79–87, 2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2007.09.110
RODRÍGUEZ, R.; MUÑOZ-MORENO, A.; CAPARRÓS, A. V.; GARCÍA-GARCÍA, C.; BRIME-BARRIOS, Á.; ARRANZ-GONZÁLEZ, J. C. et al. How to prevent flow failures in tailings dams. Mine Water and the Environment, v. 40, n. 1, p. 83–112, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-021-00752-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10230-021-00752-8
SCHAFER, H. Risk management for tailings dam safety. [S. l.: s. n.], 2022.
SEGO, D. C.; WILSON, G. W.; BEIER, N. A. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste. 2017.
SLINGERLAND, N.; MORGENSTERN, N. R. Risk-informed decision making for tailings dam management. In: Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Tailings and Mine Waste. 2020.
STEFANIAK, K.; WRÓŻYŃSKA, M. Global monitoring in prevention of TSF failures. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 25, n. 6, p. 5280–5297, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0995-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0995-x
TUOMELA, A.; RONKANEN, A. K.; ROSSI, P. M.; RAUHALA, A.; HAAPASALO, H.; KUJALA, K. Geomembrane liners to reduce seepage. Geosciences, v. 11, n. 2, 93, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11020093
VERGARAY, L. Mechanistic liquefaction assessment of mine tailings. 2023. Doctoral (dissertation) - Georgia Institute of Technology, 2023.
VINET, L.; VALDÉS-GONZÁLEZ, H.; CALDERÓN, M. Risk management model for tailings storage facilities in Chile. Mining, v. 5, n. 4, 80, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/mining5040080 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/mining5040080
VULEVIĆ, T.; DRAGOVIĆ, N.; RADULOVIĆ, L.; TODOSIJEVIĆ, M.; LAZAREVIĆ, K.; RISTIĆ, R. et al. Analysis of social impacts of mines and pathways to responsible mining. [S. l.: s. n.], 2025. https://heraws.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Responsible-Mining-Report.pdf
WAN, C. F.; FELL, R. Assessing internal instability and suffusion. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, v. 134, n. 3, p. 401–407, 2008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2008)134:3(401)
WANG, F.; LI, W.; YU, P.; HE, C. Static liquefaction failure of upstream tailings dams. Computers and Geotechnics, v. 176, 106785, 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2024.106785
WORLD BANK. Good practice note: Dam safety. US: World Bank Group, 2021. https://documents.worldbank.org
WORLD MINE TAILINGS FAILURES. Estimate of world tailings portfolio. [S. l.: s. n.], 2020. https://worldminetailingsfailures.org
XU, Y.; ZHANG, L. M. Breaching parameters for earth and rockfill dams. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, v. 135, n. 12, p. 1957–1970, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0000162
YU, H.; ZAHIDI, I.; FAI, C. M.; LIANG, D.; MADSEN, D. Ø. Tailings dam failures: A critical evaluation of current policies and practices. Results in Engineering, v. 25, 103973, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.103973 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2025.103973
ZHANG, L. M.; XU, Y.; JIA, J. S. Analysis of earth dam failures. Georisk, v. 3, n. 3, p. 184–189, 2009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17499510902831759
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2026 RECIMA21 - Revista Científica Multidisciplinar - ISSN 2675-6218
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Os direitos autorais dos artigos/resenhas/TCCs publicados pertecem à revista RECIMA21, e seguem o padrão Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), permitindo a cópia ou reprodução, desde que cite a fonte e respeite os direitos dos autores e contenham menção aos mesmos nos créditos. Toda e qualquer obra publicada na revista, seu conteúdo é de responsabilidade dos autores, cabendo a RECIMA21 apenas ser o veículo de divulgação, seguindo os padrões nacionais e internacionais de publicação.
