1. Top 10 Biggest Dams in the World in 2025 with Features and Facts 2. World’s Largest Dams and How They Work Explained Simply 3. Engineering Wonders: List of the Top Dams Around the World 4. How Science and Math Help Build the World’s Largest Dams 5. Dams That Changed the World and the Stories Behind Them

Top 10 Biggest Dams in the World in 2025

Looking for the largest dams in the world? This list features the top 10 biggest dams by size and capacity as of 2025, including their location, construction details, purpose, and interesting facts. Learn how science, physics, and mathematics contribute to the engineering of these powerful structures.

1. Three Gorges Dam – China

Location: Yangtze River, Hubei
Type: Concrete gravity dam
Completed: 2006
Purpose: Hydropower, flood control, navigation
Key Feature: Largest hydroelectric power station in the world
Fun Fact: It can generate enough electricity to power millions of homes.

2. Itaipu Dam – Brazil and Paraguay

Location: Paraná River
Type: Gravity dam
Completed: 1984
Purpose: Renewable energy generation
Key Feature: Highest power production output globally
Fun Fact: Supplies more than 75 percent of Paraguay’s electricity.

3. Xiluodu Dam – China

Location: Jinsha River, Yunnan
Type: Arch dam
Completed: 2013
Purpose: Power generation and flood control
Key Feature: One of the tallest dams in the world
Fun Fact: Located in a seismic zone, built with strong earthquake resistance.

4. Guri Dam – Venezuela

Location: Caroní River
Type: Gravity and embankment dam
Completed: 1986
Purpose: Hydropower
Key Feature: Creates one of the world’s largest artificial lakes
Fun Fact: Plays a major role in Venezuela’s energy grid.

5. Tucuruí Dam – Brazil

Location: Tocantins River
Type: Concrete gravity dam
Completed: 1984
Purpose: Electricity for Brazil’s north and northeast
Key Feature: Massive reservoir spanning thousands of square kilometers
Fun Fact: Home to one of Brazil’s largest power plants.

6. Kariba Dam – Zambia and Zimbabwe

Location: Zambezi River
Type: Arch dam
Completed: 1959
Purpose: Electricity generation
Key Feature: Holds one of the world’s largest reservoirs by volume
Fun Fact: Supplies power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

7. Hoover Dam – United States

Location: Colorado River, Nevada-Arizona border
Type: Arch-gravity dam
Completed: 1936
Purpose: Flood control, water storage, hydropower
Key Feature: Iconic American engineering project
Fun Fact: Built during the Great Depression and still operational today.

8. Longtan Dam – China

Location: Hongshui River, Guangxi
Type: Concrete gravity dam
Completed: 2009
Purpose: Flood control and energy
Key Feature: One of the tallest in China
Fun Fact: Vital for power supply in southern China.

9. Grand Coulee Dam – United States

Location: Columbia River, Washington
Type: Gravity dam
Completed: 1942
Purpose: Irrigation, flood control, electricity
Key Feature: Largest power station in the U.S. by capacity
Fun Fact: Helped transform Washington state into a major farming region.

10. Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam – Russia

Location: Yenisei River, Siberia
Type: Arch-gravity dam
Completed: 1985
Purpose: Hydropower
Key Feature: Russia’s most powerful hydroelectric plant
Fun Fact: Site of a major disaster in 2009 due to a turbine failure.

Major Dam Tragedies in History

Banqiao Dam (China, 1975): Collapsed due to record rainfall, resulting in over 200,000 deaths and massive destruction.
Brumadinho Dam (Brazil, 2019): Tailings dam failure led to a tragic mudslide, killing over 270 people.
Machchu-2 Dam (India, 1979): Heavy rainfall caused the dam to break, killing thousands in Gujarat.

Dams are not just massive concrete walls—they’re carefully planned structures made with the help of science.

Role of Physics:

Helps understand how water pressure affects the dam wall.
Assists in designing the flow of water through turbines to produce energy.
Ensures structural stability during earthquakes or extreme weather.

Role of Mathematics:

Used to calculate how much water a dam can hold safely.
Helps engineers predict flooding and manage water release schedules.
Supports computer models that simulate stress and performance under different conditions.