KATHMANDU, Dec 27: The Chinese government has decided to construct the world's largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, sparking geopolitical and environmental fears.
Global media reports indicate that the ambitious project approved recently is expected to generate three times the energy output of the current record-holding Three Gorges Dam. The decision of the Chinese government to proceed with such a large infrastructure project has drawn significant international attention due to its potential socio-environmental impacts and geopolitical implications.
Reports said the dam will be located on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, close to the disputed border with India, raising alarm among downstream countries including India and Bangladesh about possible disruptions to water flow and ecosystems.
Chinese state media has framed the project as a cornerstone of Beijing’s efforts to achieve climate neutrality, emphasizing its commitment to ecological protection and local economic benefits. However, human rights groups, environmental experts, and Tibetan activists have voiced grave concerns.
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It is said that the construction is likely to displace local Tibetan communities, disrupt fragile ecosystems, and transform the natural landscape of the Tibetan Plateau, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.
China’s history of dam-building in Tibet has long been contentious. Critics argue that these projects are part of Beijing’s broader strategy to exploit Tibet’s natural resources while undermining the region’s cultural and environmental heritage.
Protests over previous hydropower projects, such as the Gangtuo Dam earlier this year, resulted in mass arrests and violent crackdowns, according to verified reports by global media outlets.
As for the Yarlung Tsangpo dam, details about the displacement of local populations remain unclear. Comparisons with the Three Gorges Dam project, which necessitated the resettlement of 1.4 million people, have heightened concerns.
The new project will involve drilling at least four 20-kilometer-long tunnels through the Namcha Barwa mountain to divert the river’s flow, an engineering feat with potentially vast environmental consequences.
The strategic location of the dam has also raised geopolitical concerns in South Asia. India and Bangladesh rely heavily on the Brahmaputra River—downstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo—for agriculture and livelihoods. Experts believe that the project could give Beijing significant leverage over water resources in the region, exacerbating existing tensions.
Despite assurances from Chinese authorities about minimal environmental impact, skeptics warn that such megaprojects often carry unforeseen consequences, both locally and internationally. For Tibetans, who have faced decades of repression under Chinese rule, the dam symbolizes yet another chapter of displacement and marginalization.
