Beijing: China has approved the construction of what will be the world’s largest hydropower dam on the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River, sparking concerns over displacement of Tibetan communities, environmental risks, and downstream impacts in India and Bangladesh.
The dam, expected to generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, will require four 20-kilometer-long tunnels drilled through the Namcha Barwa mountain to divert the river.
Chinese state media describes it as a “safe project prioritizing ecological protection” that will promote local development and support Beijing’s climate neutrality goals.
Human rights groups and experts warn of significant risks, including altering the river’s natural landscape, damaging ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau, and displacing an unspecified number of local residents. For comparison, the Three Gorges Dam displaced 1.4 million people.
China has constructed multiple hydropower stations along the Yarlung Tsangpo over the past decade to harness its renewable energy potential.
Flowing through the world’s deepest canyon, the river plunges 2,000 meters over a short span of just 50 kilometres, offering enormous capacity for hydropower generation.
However, the river’s dramatic topography also poses substantial engineering challenges, making this dam China’s largest and most ambitious project to date.
There are also geopolitical concerns. Experts caution that China could control or divert the river’s flow, which feeds into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and Bangladesh.
In response to China’s announcement of the project in 2020, India began exploring a counter-project to mitigate potential impacts.
The dam’s location poses technical and environmental challenges, situated in an earthquake-prone region. Extensive excavation could increase landslides and mudflows, threatening the structure. In 2022, a senior engineer warned that these risks could be uncontrollable in the steep gorge.
With a projected cost of 1 trillion yuan ($127 billion), this ambitious project represents China’s most daring hydropower endeavour to date. Indian officials and environmentalists continue to raise concerns about its regional and ecological implications.
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