China has given the green light to build the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, a project that has raised alarms in neighboring India and Bangladesh. Once completed, this massive dam is expected to generate three times the energy of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world’s largest hydropower facility. Located in the lower reaches of the river, the dam is seen by China as a key driver of local development and a step toward meeting its climate goals.
However, environmental and human rights groups have expressed concerns about the project’s potential impact. Critics warn that the construction could displace local communities, disrupt the fragile ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau, and alter the region’s natural landscape. The project involves digging at least four 20-kilometer tunnels through the Namcha Barwa mountain to divert the river’s course, raising further concerns about its sustainability and long-term effects.
The scale of the project is massive. By comparison, the Three Gorges Dam displaced 1.4 million people. Chinese officials have reassured the public that the environmental impact will be minimal, but they have yet to provide specific details on how many people might be relocated. The project is also stirring tensions in India and Bangladesh, as the Yarlung Tsangpo River flows through India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam before reaching Bangladesh, raising fears that China could control the river’s flow, potentially affecting water supply downstream.
Despite China’s claims that it has considered the downstream effects, the dam’s location in a seismic region adds another layer of complexity. The river runs through the world’s deepest canyon, with the river dropping 2,000 meters over just 50 kilometers, presenting both immense hydropower potential and engineering challenges. Chinese engineers have already expressed concerns that the extensive excavation work could trigger landslides and mudslides, posing uncontrollable risks to the project’s stability.
With a price tag of $127 billion, this dam project represents China’s largest hydropower venture yet, symbolizing its ambition to harness renewable energy. But it also casts a shadow of environmental uncertainty and geopolitical tension, as neighboring countries worry about their access to water and the impact of China’s growing influence over the region’s rivers.
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