Syllabus: GS2/ International Relations
Context
- China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo (or Zangbo) river in Tibet.
About
- The 60 GW capacity project was included in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2020) and approved in 2024. The dam will be built at the Great Bend, where the river takes a U-turn, in the Medog county of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The $137-billion hydropower project is expected to generate around 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually — potentially three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam.
- China has previously constructed significant dams like the Three Gorges Dam (Yangtze) and Zangmu Dam (Yarlung Zangbo).
- In the project, India and Bhutan are middle riparian countries, while Bangladesh is the lowermost riparian nation.
- The main river does not flow through Bhutan, but 96% of the country’s area is within the basin.
| Yarlung Tsangpo ( Zangbo) river – It originates in Tibet, and enters Arunachal Pradesh, where it is known as the Siang. – In Assam, it is joined by tributaries such as Dibang and Lohit, and is called the Brahmaputra. – The river then enters Bangladesh, and makes its way to the Bay of Bengal. |
Impact of the Project
- Hydrological Impact: Altered water flow patterns have probability to increase flooding during monsoons and water scarcity in dry seasons, affecting downstream nations like India and Bangladesh.
- Ecological Risks: Threat to biodiversity and river ecosystems, including aquatic species and wetlands.
- Seismic and Structural Risks: The Brahmaputra basin is seismically active, as evidenced by the 1950 Assam-Tibet earthquake.
- A mega-dam in this zone could trigger disasters like dam collapse and floods due to structural failure.
- Geopolitical Tensions: Control over water resources may heighten tensions between China and lower riparian countries (India, Bhutan, Bangladesh).
- Disaster Vulnerability: Increased risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), as seen in the 2023 Sikkim floods.
Coordination Mechanism for Cooperation
- 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 Ahead
- 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.
Source: TH
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