China’s Tibet Dam A Threat To India’s Security

Context: China’s plan to construct a ‘super hydropower dam’ on the Yarlung Tsangpo is neither eco-friendly nor it is beneficial for the local community.

Possible Threats from the Construction of Super Hydropower Dam:

• Destruction of river ecology: More than 90% of dams built since 1930s were “more expensive than anticipated”, and have “damaged river ecology, displaced millions of people.”(BBC report).
  • For e.g. demolition of Yacla de Yeltes Dam in Spain and 90 dams in (in 2019) U.S. have been hailed by ecologists as river restoration efforts to reduce the damage.
• Massive loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat: Damming will inundate vast area of land around Nyingtri or Kongpo (“an ancient museum of nature”) known for oldest forests and primitive species.
  • Propagated by inducing seismic activity, landslides and greenhouse gas emission (due to deforestation).
• Diminish local Tibetan identity: by facilitating mass migration (through dam infrastructure development) from China to Kongpo (Tibetan dominated region) and marginalising Tibetans.
• Destabilise India’s border and hydrological security: due to the close proximity of the Kongpo (proposed site for building dam) to India’s border.
  • Construction of a ‘super dam’ in Metok means the threat expands all the way to Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
  • The India would inevitably face a twin disaster of water shortage in the winter and flash floods in the summer.

Conclusion: Strategic plan of constructing the super dam in Kongpo region is aimed at countering both domestic Tibetan resistance as well as border challenges from India.