It will be built on the Yarlung Tsangbo River, just before the river exits the Himalayas and flows into India, along the world’s longest and deepest canyon located at an altitude of more than 1,500 meters. Yarlung Tsangbo is one of the major rivers of Asia originating in Tibet, flowing through India, Bangladesh and flowing into the Bay of Bengal (this river is named Brahmaputra when coming to India and Meghna when flowing into Bangladesh).

A hydroelectric dam on the Brahmaputra River. (Photo: Indiandefencereview)

The hydroelectric project in Medog district in Tibet is expected to break the record of the Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River, in central China, with an expected capacity of 300 billion kw of electricity per year. This ambitious project was also featured in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan at the 4th Session of the National People’s Congress of China in March 2021. However, Chinese officials have yet to release the details, timeframe and budget for the project. Before that, China has implemented the construction of a number of smaller hydroelectric projects on this river.

In October 2020, Tibetan officials signed a “strategic cooperation agreement” with PowerChina – a company specializing in the construction of hydroelectric projects. Expressing his passion for “arguably the richest region in the world for this hydroelectric resource”, Yan Zhiyong, head of PowerChina, explained that the dam will generate ample electricity thanks to the Great slope of the river in this distance.

Beijing thinks the project is an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuel use, however, it runs the risk of encountering strong opposition from environmentalists, like like what happened with the Three Gorges Dam. The Three Gorges Dam was built from 1994 to 2012, crossing the Yangtze River, the section that flows through Hubei province, and is currently the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.

The Tam Hiep Dam created a huge reservoir with a surface area of ​​more than 1,000 square kilometers, causing 1.4 million residents to evacuate. To complete the project, 40,000 workers worked non-stop for 17 years, at a cost of tens of billions of dollars.

Brian Eyler, program director of Southeast Asia, Stimson Research Center in Washington DC, USA, said: “Building a dam of great size can be a bad idea for many reasons.” Not only is it famous for its strong seismic activity, the area where China plans to build a super dam also has a unique ecosystem. According to Mr. Brian Eyler, the new dam can stop fish migration and sediment flows help the soil become fertile downstream during the flood season.

Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, an environmental expert at the Tibetan Policy Institute, said that the project could face both ecological and political risks. Speaking to AFP, Mr. Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha said: “We have a very rich cultural heritage in this area. Therefore, any dam construction can damage the ecosystem and affect those heritages ”. According to Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, the dam project will force many locals to leave their homes.

The danger of “water war” explosion

Analysts fear tensions between China and India could turn from the disputed border area of ​​the Himalayas to the flow from the world’s highest mountain range. India has repeatedly expressed concerns about China’s mega-dam construction project.

Many analysts said, China intends to use the super dam on the Yarlung Zangbao River to control the flow, putting pressure on downstream countries, like what it did with the Mekong River. Some other opinions that Beijing is intending to control the water resources of the whole South Asia region.

In a commentary in Times of India, political scientist Brahma Chellaney assessed: “The water war is an important element of war. China can use upstream power to control its most essential natural resource.

This expert warned that the risks associated with seismic activities will make the dam become a “water bomb” that can explode at any time and threaten the lives of people in the downstream area.

In response to China’s super dam plan, the Indian government has come up with the idea to build another dam on the Brahmaputra River to increase water storage and neutralize the impact of the project that Beijing follows. chase.

“There is still plenty of time to negotiate with China about the future of the super dam and the impact it will create,” said expert Eyler, but he also noted, “the failure of negotiations will cause India to build. another dam downstream ”./.

China plans to build super hydroelectricity three times more than the Three Gorges dam. Illustration

Specifically, the new dam is planned to build a dam in Tibet, capable of generating electricity three times as much electricity from the Three Gorges Dam.

Beijing authorities have not released details of the new dam in Tibet, but Chinese media predict this dam with a capacity of up to 60 GW, could become the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, surpassing the dam. Tam Hiep, with a capacity of 22.5 GW.

The new dam project was mentioned in the five-year economic development plan (2021-2025) announced by the Chinese government at the annual parliamentary session.

In November 2020, speaking at a conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the China Hydropower Engineering Association, China Electricity Construction Group Chairman Yan Zhiyong announced that Beijing would exploit hydroelectricity in the lower reaches save the Yarlung Zangbao River. The Yarlung Zangbao River flowing into India is the Brahmaputra River.

Beijing could argue that the mega dam project in Tibet is an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels.

Given its position on the Yarlung Zangbao line, the new super hydro is in danger of facing strong opposition from environmental activists such as when the Three Gorges dam was built in 1994-2012, especially from India. . The Yarlung Zangbao River was renamed Brahmaputra when it flowed into India.

According to the report, the exploitation of hydroelectric resources on the Brahmaputra River could provide China with 300 billion kWh of carbon-free electricity a year, accounting for about 4% of the country’s total demand last year.

The proposal to build hydroelectric dams on the Brahmaputra River raises concerns in India and Bangladesh, the riparian states of the river because it serves as an important source of water. However, China seeks to downplay those concerns and announced that it would pay attention to the interests of these two countries.

Reuters quoted an Indian official revealed that the New Delhi government is planning to build its hydroelectric dam on the Brahmaputra River, in order to increase water retention capacity and find ways to neutralize the influence of the Chinese project. .

The Indian government has repeatedly conveyed its views and concerns to the Chinese authorities, urging them to ensure the interests of downstream countries are not compromised by any activities in the upper region. source.

The Three Gorges Dam created a huge reservoir and evacuated about 1.4 million residents. A dam three times as massive as the Three Gorges could have had a catastrophic impact on the neighborhood.

The areas around the Yarlung Tsangpo River are less densely populated than the Yangtze River. But there is a precedent for relocation of local residents to make room for dam construction projects on the Yarlung Tsangpo River. Nearly 2,000 people were relocated to build the Yagen hydropower station in 2015, local media reported.

Yarlung Zangbao River.

Brian Eyler, director of the sustainability, water and energy program at the Stimson Center, a research organization in the US, says a super-large dam could be a bad idea. Large dams can impede fish migration as well as sediment flows during the downstream flood season.

While China already has a surplus of electricity, the generated electricity could be used to compensate for the losses as it switches from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.

Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha, an environmental policy expert at the Tibetan Policy Institute based in Dharamshala, India, said the project contains both ecological and political risks.

“We have a very rich Tibetan cultural heritage in those areas, and any dam construction will destroy the ecology, engulf parts of that area. will be forced to abandon ancestral lands, “he said, adding that the project will encourage Han Chinese workers to migrate, who will gradually settle here permanently.

India is also concerned about the project, as analysts say China is in a position to control a large portion of South Asia’s water supply.

“Water wars are an important part of war because they allow China to use upstream power for its most essential natural resource” – political scientist Brahma Chellaney wrote in Times of India.