China has officially begun construction of a massive hydropower project on the Brahmaputra River in southeastern Tibet, sparking renewed concerns in India and Bangladesh about the potential environmental and geopolitical consequences for downstream communities.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the groundbreaking ceremony Saturday for the dam, which will be built on the Yarlung Tsangpo River—known as the Brahmaputra once it flows into India—near Nyingchi, close to the Arunachal Pradesh border. The project is part of China’s long-term efforts to boost renewable energy and economic development in Tibet, and is closely tied to its national carbon neutrality goals.
According to state news agency Xinhua, the project includes the construction of five hydropower stations and carries an estimated investment of 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately \$167 billion). The electricity generated will be transmitted to other regions of China while also fulfilling local energy needs in Tibet.
Once completed, the dam could surpass the scale of China’s existing Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, currently the world’s largest hydropower facility. However, its potential impact on water flow, agriculture, and ecosystems downstream has prompted concern in India and Bangladesh, which rely heavily on the Brahmaputra for irrigation, drinking water, and livelihoods.
In January, India raised the issue with Beijing, stating it would "monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests." India’s Ministry of External Affairs also called on China to ensure that the rights of lower riparian states are not compromised by upstream developments.
China, for its part, has dismissed concerns of any negative impact. In December, the Chinese foreign ministry said the project "would not have any adverse effect" on downstream nations and promised to maintain communication with affected countries.
Environmentalists have also sounded the alarm, warning that large-scale infrastructure projects in the fragile and ecologically sensitive Tibetan plateau could have irreversible consequences, including increased seismic risk and loss of biodiversity.
The dam’s location also underscores the broader tensions between China and India, which share a disputed border in the Himalayan region, where both nations have deployed large numbers of troops following deadly clashes in recent years.
As construction moves ahead, the dam is likely to remain a flashpoint in regional geopolitics, raising fresh questions about transboundary river governance and the ecological costs of mega-infrastructure in contested and climate-sensitive zones.
