Overview
- A peer‑reviewed paper published in China Science Bulletin reconstructed Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) runoff from 1325–2020 using tree rings and climate data and projected increased runoff and more high‑runoff events this century.
- The study, reported widely on Monday, Oct 26, ties rising runoff to the Tibetan Plateau warming at about twice the global rate and says planners should include those projections in storage and flood management decisions.
- China is continuing construction of the Medog (Motuo) cascade, a planned five‑station hydropower complex reported at roughly $168 billion and more than 60,000 MW, located in a deep Himalayan gorge with active tectonics.
- Independent Chinese geologists warned in July that an active fault beneath the dam site could threaten slope and structural stability, and the August 26 China–Nepal flash flood underscored the region’s vulnerability to cascading mountain hazards.
- The findings raise cross‑border stakes for India and Bangladesh by stressing the need for transparent data sharing, flood forecasting and regional coordination; India is exploring its own storage options such as the proposed Siang project but that plan remains at the feasibility stage.