The Vajont disaster is studied in engineering schools on every continent.
It appears on the courses in risk management, ethics, and infrastructure governance.
It is the story of what happens when the people with power to stop something decide, instead, to manage it.
And keep deciding that.
Until they can’t.
Following our hydropower episode released last Sunday, it’s a story I find fascinating, I’ve also watched the film (only found the spanish version as uploaded above).
I’ve written about the story, which caused probably the biggest tsunami on earth (it seems it reached 250 m height wave…) and its lessons, and surprisingly (or not), many of the takeaways still hold true today.
This is what many stakeholders, decision-makers, and entities face in water today. Accountability is often diffused across many areas, as this story clearly shows.
There’s a Spanish saying, “Entre todos la mataron y ella sola se murió,” which is roughly equivalent to the English idea of “Everybody’s responsibility becomes nobody’s responsibility.”
I hope this piece of writing helps you see above the fog, gain a clearer view of how things sometimes work, and reflect on what we can do to improve.
A clear understanding of how politics, technical experts, “external” consultants, project managers, investors, power, and reputation all interact and balance in our daily work…
