Varma - President, International Commission on Large Dams Secretary General, Council of Power Utilities.

I am thankful to the Organizing Committee of the Iranian Hydro Power Conference for inviting me to attend this conference and give a keynote lecture. As I intimated earlier, I shall speak on "Water Resource and Hydro Power Development - Global Scenario. I extend my heartiest congratulations to Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company (IWPC) for successful start up and operation of the new Hydro Power Scheme - Karakhel and Masjid-e-Soliman Power Plants of 400 & 1000 MW capacity respectively. Though not blessed with adequate water resources, with a total estimated surface and ground water resources of 107,525 million m3* the remarkable development of hydraulic engineering structures in Iran is a testimony to the continuing and systematic way of thinking of the Iranians in the past and now-a-days. Building and the operation of qantas 3000 years ago and continuing the same to the present for water management can be related to the natural conditions of the country. Increase in population prompted development of dam construction. Researchers have brought out that it was in the second period religious belief and social order (651 AD to 2 0th century) storage of water was achieved by gravity and arch dams. Earth-fill dams were built in isolated cases. Mountain flanks for flood relief were also practiced. Silting of dams was a major problems in ancient dams. Considerable progress has been made thereafter during the course of water resources and hydro power development in Iran. We shall hear from the distinguished speakers the course and characteristics of this development. I now propose to dwel on the global scenario of water resource and hydro power development.