China will be constructing the world’s largest hydropower dam on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau that could impact India. The dam will be located in the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo, producing 300 billion kwh of electricity annually.
Here are the concerns and implications of China’s Tibet dam project on India
- The dam will be situated on the Yarlung Zangbo River, where the river turns sharply towards Arunachal Pradesh in India.
- This ambitious plan is part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, and with the Brahmaputra dam, the country will surpass the scale of its previous major infrastructure projects, including the Three Gorges Dam.
- The entire project is expected to cost about USD 137 billion, touting it as the biggest infrastructure project in the world.
- Lack of transparency: New Delhi is worried about Beijing’s lack of transparency regarding the project, fueling fears about the dam’s potential impact.
- Flash floods and water scarcity: The dam could trigger flash floods or lead to water scarcity downstream, affecting India’s water supply.
- Dependence on China: India worries that the project could result in the country depending on China for its water supplies, giving China significant leverage.
- Upper riparian control: As the upper riparian state, China’s control over the dam could affect the quantity of water available downstream, increasing India’s concerns.
- Geopolitical tensions: The project may exacerbate geopolitical tensions between India and China, sowing the seeds of “water wars” between the two nations, according to Genevieve Donnellon-May, a geopolitical and global strategy adviser who wrote the same on AsiaGlobal Online in 2022.
- Regional implications: The dam will allow China to control water flow and potentially release large amounts of water to flood border areas during hostilities.
- India’s response: India is building its own dam over the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh, and data sharing discussions just took place between NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during their Special Representatives meeting on December 18.
