Inside Mosul Dam: Disaster waiting to happen?

It's difficult to understand why engineers and architects would build the dam on a foundation of gypsum. Gypsum is a mineral commonly found in the region. It is the same material used to make plaster of Paris. In the ME, the buildings we see where the facade is falling are examples of buildings that were built using the gypsum based sand found naturally in the area.

As a result of this the Mosul Dam is under repair. The repair is a process in which the current foundation is drilled into and concrete is poured in.

The dam has been neglected for years because of "funding, corruption and bureaucracy have plagued efforts to refurbish the dam, and Iraq's security problems have kept much-needed international companies -- and their expertise and advanced technology -- away."

Currently an Italian company is under contract to repair the dam and the Italian government has sent a SF group to ensure their protection while working.