-
-
China has begun construction of what is set to be the world’s largest hydroelectric dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, near the Indian border, according to reports from Al Jazeera.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang recently laid the foundation stone of the project, which will cost over $127 billion and generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually three times more than the current world’s largest, the Three Gorges Dam.
The project is part of China’s push for carbon neutrality by 2060, but it has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists, Tibetan rights groups, and regional neighbors. The Yarlung Tsangpo is considered sacred by Tibetans and plays a vital ecological and cultural role.
Downstream countries, especially India and Bangladesh, are alarmed. The river flows into India as the Brahmaputra and then into Bangladesh. Indian officials warn that China may use the dam to control or divert water potentially weaponizing it in times of conflict.
