China has just approved a project to build the world's largest hydroelectric power plant on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, with a capacity of 60,000 MW, three times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.
The project is causing concern for India and downstream countries, but China insists it is an opportunity to contribute to sustainable development, not a threat to the environment or water rights of neighboring countries.
The Global Times quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as emphasizing on January 6 that the project had undergone rigorous scientific assessments and would not cause any negative impacts on the ecological environment, geological conditions, or water resource use rights of downstream countries.
Mr. Quach Gia Khon also affirmed that the project can support disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation in this area.
The project is located at the “Great Bend” in Medog County, Tibet, where the Yarlung Zangbo River flows into the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh (where it is known as the Siang River), then into Assam (where it is known as the Brahmaputra) before entering Bangladesh.
India has expressed concerns about the project, especially the potential impact on water flows and the livelihoods of millions of people living along the Brahmaputra River.
"As a downstream country with established water rights, we have repeatedly highlighted our views and expressed concerns to the Chinese side over major projects on rivers within their territory," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
Mr. Ashok Kantha, former Indian Ambassador to China, said that India needs to express its stance more strongly, because this project is risky when implemented in an area prone to earthquakes and has high biodiversity.
China sees the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project as a major step toward achieving its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, thanks to the river’s vast hydropower potential. However, Indian experts warn that large hydropower projects often come with consequences.
The construction of large dams can disrupt the flow of sediment, affecting agriculture, and alter natural flows, negatively impacting biodiversity. The region has also seen disasters such as the 2004 landslide that created the Parechu Lake, which later collapsed and caused massive flooding in India.
Currently, China and India have several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation on transboundary rivers, but their implementation is limited. The MoU on the Sutlej River has expired, while the MoU on the Brahmaputra River is in the process of being renewed.
Experts stress that to mitigate risks, China needs to increase transparency and cooperation with downstream countries. International regulations such as the 1997 UN Convention on International Watercourses can play a role in promoting such cooperation.
