China has given the green light to construct the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra River (also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet), a project that has the potential to generate massive amounts of renewable energy, while also raising serious concerns about its environmental and geopolitical impacts. This colossal undertaking, estimated to cost $137 billion, dwarfs even the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest hydropower plant.

world’s largest dam

Project Details and Scale:

The dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, where it cuts through a deep gorge in the sidenote: The Himalayas, or Himalaya is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has several peaks exceeding an elevation of 8,000 m including Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth.before flowing into India. The river’s dramatic topography, with a 2,000-meter vertical drop over just 50km, makes it an ideal location for hydropower generation.

  • To harness this potential, the project requires drilling at least four 20km-long tunnels through the Namcha Barwa mountain to divert the river’s flow.
  • It is estimated that the dam could generate over 300 billion kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of more than 300 million people.
  • The project’s power generation capacity is estimated to be more than three times that of the Three Gorges Dam.
  • The dam is expected to generate an annual income of 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) for the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Motivations and Benefits:

The Chinese government has described the project as a “safe project that prioritises ecological protection”. It is seen as a crucial step towards achieving Beijing’s climate neutrality goals and promoting low-carbon development.

  • The project is expected to spur growth in industries such as engineering, logistics and trade services and create new jobs.
  • The dam aims to improve infrastructure related to electricity, water and transportation and will contribute to the economic growth of the region.
  • The project aims to provide clean energy, along with the development of solar and wind energy resources, creating a complementary mix of hydro, wind, and solar power.

Concerns and Controversies:

Despite the stated benefits, the project has drawn criticism from human rights groups, environmentalists and neighboring countries.

  • Displacement: There are fears that the dam’s construction could displace local Tibetan communities, similar to the Three Gorges Dam, which required the resettlement of 1.4 million people, though the Chinese authorities have not released figures on the number of people that will be displaced by the dam.
  • Environmental Impact: Concerns have been raised that the project could significantly alter the natural landscape, damage local ecosystems and increase the risk of landslides in this earthquake-prone region. The area is located along an active tectonic plate boundary, making it vulnerable to earthquakes.
  • Geopolitical Implications: The dam’s location on a trans-border river raises concerns in India and Bangladesh about China’s ability to control the water flow. Some experts believe this control would give China a “chokehold” on India’s economy.
  • Water Security: There are concerns that China could release large amounts of water in times of conflict, potentially causing flooding in border areas.
  • Transparency: While Chinese authorities maintain the project is safe, they have not offered details about the number of people it will displace.

Geopolitical Tensions:

India has also expressed concerns about the project and is exploring the development of a large hydropower dam and reservoir to mitigate the adverse impacts of the Chinese project. There are established mechanisms in place for data sharing between the two countries regarding trans-border rivers. China maintains that it has the right to dam the river and has considered downstream impacts.

Conclusion:

The Brahmaputra dam project is a large-scale endeavour with significant implications, not just for China but for the wider region. While it is poised to boost China’s renewable energy capacity and support economic growth in Tibet, it is also a source of considerable environmental and geopolitical apprehension.

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