Chinese Approval to Dam on Brahmaputra

In News

Recently, China has approved the first dams to be built on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra (known as Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet).

Key Highlights

• The Chinese draft outline of the new Five-Year Plan (FYP) for 2025 mentions the building of hydropower bases on the lower reaches of the river as among the priority energy projects.
  • The lower reaches refer to the sections of the river in Tibet before it flows into India.
• The authorities have approved to begin tapping the lower reaches for the first time, which marks a new chapter in the hydropower exploitation of the river.
• The precise location of the project has not been mentioned. However, the potential locations are the “Great Bend” of the Brahmaputra and at the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Medog county, where the river falls over a 2,000 metre-drop and turns sharply to flow across the border into Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The 50-km section at Great Bend alone offers the potential of 70 million kWh, which will help in realising China’s goal of reaching a carbon emissions peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060.
• It also suggests that various long-pending proposals from Chinese hydropower companies to build dams on the lower reaches may be approved in near future.
• Other major projects include the construction of coastal nuclear power plants and power transmission channels.
• Earlier Projects
  • In 2015, China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu in Tibet, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed, all on the upper and middle reaches of the river.
  • Earlier efforts and plans for dams downstream did not pass technical feasibility studies because of concerns over the environmental impact.

India’s Stand

• India has expressed concerns over the four planned dams on the upper and middle reaches.
  • As per Indian officials, these dams may not greatly impact Brahmaputra’s flows in India because they are only storing water for power generation.
  • Also, Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows with an estimated 35% of its basin in India.
• However, dams on the lower reaches and at the Great Bend would raise fresh concerns because of the location across the border from Arunachal Pradesh and the potential impact downstream.

Major Concerns

• Risky Location
  • The location poses a risk as the Himalayas are one of the most vulnerable to earthquakes and seismic activity.
  • Earthquake-induced landslides and flash floods pose a major threat to several dams and other facilities.
• Basin Degradation
  • The dams will block the major amount of silt carried by the river which would lead to soil-degradation and ultimately reduce agricultural productivity.
• Threat to Biodiversity
  • This region has various species of flora and fauna which are endemic to only this part of the world and any change in the river flow poses a threat to their existence.
  • The region has multiple species listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List. For example, the Gangetic river dolphin, also found in the Brahmaputra is critically endangered.
• Impact on Population
  • Downstream damming would lead to water security, hampering the people living in India and further in Bangladesh.
• Strategic Aspects
  • During standoffs and high tensions, there are chances of significant change in water flows or lack of communication on flows from the Chinese side.
  • In 2018, during the Doklam border standoff, China stopped communication of water flow levels from its dams, which led to India’s total unawareness about floods at that time.

Way Forward

• Both India and China must stop new constructions on the Brahmaputra and start looking for potentially less destructive solutions like building a decentralised network of check dams, rain-capturing lakes and using traditional means of water capture.
• These measures have shown striking results in restoring the ecological balance while supporting the populations of the regions in a sustainable manner.
• Developmental and conservation policies, working on science-based planning and assessment can give full consideration to impact downstream and accommodate the interests of all regions.
• All these measures along with better communication among India, China and Bangladesh will lead to less stress and more development in the region.

Source: TH