China has approved the construction of what will be the world's largest hydroelectric dam, fueling concerns about displacement of Tibetan communities and environmental impacts downstream in India and Bangladesh.
The dam, which will be located downstream of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, can produce three times as much power as the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest hydroelectric power plant.
Chinese media described the development as a “safe project that prioritizes environmental protection”, saying it would boost local prosperity and contribute to Beijing's climate neutrality goals.
However, human rights organizations and experts have expressed concern about the consequences of the development.
Among them are fears that the construction of the dam – which was first announced in late 2020 – could displace local communities, further alter the natural landscape and damage the local ecosystem, which is among the richest and most diverse on the Tibetan Plateau.
China has built several dams on Tibetan territory – a contentious issue in the region that has been tightly controlled by Beijing since it was annexed in the 1950s.
Activists have told the BBC that the dams are the latest example of Beijing's exploitation of Tibetans and their land. Mainly Buddhist Tibet has seen waves of crackdowns in recent years, where thousands are believed to have been killed.
Earlier this year, the Chinese government rounded up hundreds of Tibetans protesting another hydroelectric dam. It ended with arrests and beatings, some people were seriously injured, the BBC learned from confirmed sources and photos.
They opposed the plans to build the Gangtuo dam and hydroelectric power plant, which would have displaced many villages and submerged ancient monasteries with holy materials. Beijing, however, said it had relocated and compensated the locals, and moved the masterpieces to a safe place.
In the case of the Yarlung Tsangpo dam, Chinese authorities have stressed that the project will not have a major environmental impact – but have not revealed how many people it will displace. The Three Gorges Dam requires the resettlement of 1.4 million people.
Reports indicate that the major development will require digging at least four 20km-long tunnels in the Namcha Barwa mountain, diverting the flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet's longest river.
Experts and officials have also raised concerns that the dam would give China the ability to control or divert the flow of the transboundary river, which flows south through the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and on to Bangladesh.
A 2020 report published by the Lowy Institute, an Australian-based think tank, noted that “controlling these rivers [in the Tibetan Plateau] gives China economic power over India”.
Shortly after China announced its plans to build the Yarlung Tsangpo Dam by 2020, a senior Indian government official told Reuters that the Indian government was looking at building a large hydroelectric dam and dam “to reduce the negative impact of China's dam projects”.
China's Foreign Ministry has responded to India's concerns about the proposed dam, saying by 2020 China has a “legal right” to block the river and assess downstream impacts.
Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, also known as Yarlung Zangbo Grand canyon, is the deepest in the world. [Getty Images]
China has built several hydroelectric power stations along the Yarlung Tsangpo over the past decade in an effort to harness the river's power as a source of renewable energy. As it flows through the deepest canyon on Earth, one section of the river drops 2,000 meters within a short distance of just 50 kilometers, providing great potential for hydroelectric power generation.
The river's incredible climate, however, also poses major engineering challenges – and this latest dam is China's largest and most ambitious to date.
The development area is located near the boundary of a tectonic plate that is prone to earthquakes. Chinese researchers have also previously raised the alarm that such extensive excavation and construction in the steep and narrow canyon could increase the frequency of landslides.
“Landslides caused by earthquakes and mudslides are often uncontrollable and will pose a serious threat to the project,” said a senior engineer from the Sichuan regional center in 2022.
The project could cost up to a trillion yuan ($127bn; £109.3bn) according to estimates by the Chongyi Water Resources office.
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