In this Special Edition of The Whitepaper — Nicolin Decker presents A Universal Framework for Sediment, Scour, and Internal Erosion Risk in Hydroelectric Dams—a first-of-its-kind, reproducible and treaty-grade standard that unifies engineering, law, and economics. Centered on the Yarlung Tsangpo’s Medog Hydropower Station, the Framework links delta growth → downstream scour → seepage/piping into a single, auditable risk pathway—and then operationalizes mitigation through the Dam Safety Telemetry System (DSTS) with blockchain-anchored chain-of-custody.
Why now: Megadams are scaling in high-relief basins under climate volatility. Fragmented guidance (USACE/ICOLD/UNFC) treats hazards in isolation; this Framework integrates them—governing equations, Monte Carlo ensembles, and FoS thresholds—so any nation can substitute local parameters and obtain replicable outputs fit for court, regulator, and market.
The Result? Engineering → Law → Finance (Leader Metrics)
• FoS trajectory (baseline Medog): ≥1.5 at commissioning → ~1.2 in 20–25 yrs absent intervention (P10/P50/P90 bands).
• Mitigation impact: MycoGenesis® corridors + grouting/drainage + adaptive tailwater extend service life +5–10 yrs, cut O&M/capex $230–$400M, and lower transboundary escalation risk ~25% over 25 yrs.
• Evidentiary readiness: DSTS seals telemetry with hashes/timestamps, enabling self-authenticating exhibits (Fed. Rules of Evidence 902(13)/(14)); Any Nation Protocol localizes units/currency/law without breaking reproducibility.
• Policy dividend: Converts foreseeability into duty of care (Trail Smelter; Gabčíkovo–Nagymaros), aligning compliance with cost-benefit gains and sovereign credit resilience.
Key Takeaways:
🔷 One standard, many sovereigns: Parameter-substitutable model yields globally comparable risk and mitigation evidence. 🔷 Proof over promise: Deterministic telemetry + legal chain-of-custody turns safety into enforceable compliance. 🔷 From uncertainty to ROI: Quantified benefits finance the fix—mitigation as fiduciary duty. 🔷 Hydrodiplomacy by design: Shared verification enables data without disclosure, verification without surveillance across borders. 🔷 Exportable blueprint: Methods and DSTS stack generalize beyond Medog to Himalaya, Andes, Mekong, Nile.
📄 Read the Thesis: A Universal Framework for Sediment, Scour, and Internal Erosion Risk in Hydroelectric Dams: Systems Modeling and Application to the Medog Hydropower Station (SSRN: 5595212) - [Click Here].
🗂️ Companion Dataset: Decker, Nicolin (2025), “Dam Safety Telemetry System (DSTS),” Mendeley Data, V1, 10.17632/g4n3kckrm2.1 - [Click Here].
This is The Whitepaper. And this is how foreseeability becomes duty, telemetry becomes evidence, and peace becomes operational.
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