Abstract: This paper shows how to establish the life risk criteria, economic risk criteria, socio environmental risk criteria and their detailed description. The main similarities and differences of the risk criteria of HSE (from UK), ANCOLD (from Australia) and USBR (from USA) have been analyzed. In China, the dam risks are classified into four regions: acceptable risk, tolerable risk, unacceptable risk and extremely high risk, which are respectively subdivided by the objective limit, tolerable limit and limit of the high risk. According to the data collected from 3 513 cases of reservoir dam-break in our country, the individual life risk criteria and the societal life risk criteria have been suggested by our researchers. On this basis, the economic risk criteria are put forward in accordance with the “Regulations on Production Safety Accident Reporting, Investigation and Handling”. And finally, a calculation method for the socio-environmental impact index and socio-environmental risk criteria is developed through detailed analysis and research, which can provide a sound basis for dam risk decision-making.