China Mega Dam On Brahmputra

China's massive Brahmaputra dam project near Arunachal raises ecological, geopolitical, and disaster risks, prompting India to boost hydropower efforts in response.

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Context

  • China officially commenced construction of a massive hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, near the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

About Project 

  • The dam is being built across a huge gorge in the Himalayas where the river makes a U-turn near India’s border (Arunachal Pradesh).
  • The project is being hailed as the largest infrastructure development of its kind globally.
  • Project Details:
    • It comprises five cascade hydropower stations.
    • Total estimated investment: 1.2 trillion yuan (approx. USD 167.8 billion).
    • Expected power generation: 300 billion kilowatt-hours annually — enough to power 300 million people.
  • Location: Situated in the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (Brahmaputra in Tibet), where the river takes a U-turn near the India-China border before entering Arunachal Pradesh and eventually Bangladesh.
    • The region is seismically active and ecologically sensitive.

Key Concerns associated with the Dam 

  • Disaster Risk: This increases the threats related to earthquakes. The Tibetan plateau frequently experiences earthquakes as it is located over the tectonic plates. 
  • Geopolitical Concerns: India and Bangladesh are lower riparian states.
    • Both rely heavily on the uninterrupted flow of the Brahmaputra for agriculture, drinking water, and ecosystem stability.
    • Concerns centre around disruptions to water flow, blocking of nutrient-rich silt, and potential ecological damage.
    • It could also enable China to release large amounts of water flooding border areas in times of hostilities.
  • Cultural Challenges: Project threatens indigenous tribes like Adi Tribe in Arunachal Pradesh 

Coordination Mechanism between both Nations

  • There is an umbrella Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation on transboundary rivers, and two separate MoUs on the Brahmaputra and Sutlej.
    • The Brahmaputra MoU, renewable every five years, lapsed in 2023.
    • The umbrella MoU was signed in 2013, and has no expiry date. 
  • China and India have the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) since 2006 for hydrological data sharing, but lack a comprehensive treaty.
  • None of the riparian nations (China, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh) are signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (1997).

Way Forward

  • Strengthen diplomatic dialogue: Between China, India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh for transparent water-sharing agreements.
  • Institutional Mechanism: Establish a permanent transboundary river management authority for data-sharing on water flow, dam operations, and disaster forecasting.
  • Disaster Preparedness: Enhance regional cooperation for disaster management, including shared resources for relief efforts.
  • India’s Counter-Strategy: India is accelerating its own hydropower projects on the Brahmaputra in Arunachal Pradesh as part of regional infrastructure and border development.


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