by Ashis Sinha
JNS: China’s government, under President Xi Jinping, has approved the construction of what will be the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, just 22 kilometers from India’s Arunachal Pradesh. The announcement, made on December 25, has raised alarms in India and Bangladesh about potential environmental and geopolitical impacts.
The dam, located on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra), is set to become the largest infrastructure project globally, surpassing even China’s own Three Gorges Dam. With an estimated construction cost exceeding one trillion yuan ($137 billion), the project has sparked fears of significant ecological disruption and water security challenges for the downstream countries.
Experts warn that the dam, planned for the ecologically sensitive area in the Himalayan region, could significantly alter the Brahmaputra’s flow, affecting millions in northeastern India and Bangladesh who rely on the river. The project, located in a tectonically active region prone to earthquakes, could disrupt aquatic ecosystems and harm local agriculture, which is heavily dependent on the river for irrigation.
While China previously assured India that it was focused on “run-of-the-river” projects, the scale of this new dam suggests otherwise. The proposed structure would divert half of the river’s flow, requiring the construction of extensive tunnels and altering water distribution. This could lead to erosion, sediment trapping, and loss of fertile land in both India and Bangladesh.
India, while not having issued an official statement, is expected to closely monitor developments, as the dam could provide China with a strategic advantage in any future conflict, due to its control over upstream water resources. The dam’s location in a deep gorge, surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the eastern Himalayas, adds to concerns about potential environmental disasters, including flooding or unexpected water releases.
Environmental experts have raised alarms about the dam’s impact on endemic fish and wildlife species in the Brahmaputra basin, as well as the risk of large-scale displacement of local communities due to land acquisition for the project. Climate change further complicates the issue, as accelerated glacier melt in the region could lead to erratic water flows and exacerbate flooding risks in India and Bangladesh.
This move follows recent discussions between India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, and China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, which focused on data-sharing on transboundary rivers. The dam’s announcement has intensified concerns about water security in the region and could heighten tensions between India and China.
