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China’s Yarlung Tsangpo Hydropower Megadam Begins Construction as Downstream States Seek Transparency

Beijing’s assurances of ecological safeguards have not quelled downstream calls for binding water-sharing agreements.

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A stock image of an aerial view of a portion of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
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Overview

  • China commenced construction on the 60-gigawatt Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower megadam on July 19 in Tibet, aiming to generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours annually.
  • Beijing insists the project will pose no harm downstream, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun pledging comprehensive ecological protections and continued dialogue.
  • India and Bangladesh have voiced concerns that the dam could grant China strategic control over Brahmaputra flows and pressed for a binding water-sharing treaty.
  • Hydrological data sharing under the Expert Level Mechanism has stalled since the eastern Ladakh border row, leading India to seek real-time river flow information.
  • New Delhi is expediting plans for its Upper Siang multipurpose dam in Arunachal Pradesh as a safeguard against potential disruptions, despite local opposition and survey delays.