The Chinese government has officially approved plans to build the world’s largest hydroelectric dam in Tibet (Xizang).
On Friday, Reuters and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Beijing has greenlit a project to construct a massive hydropower dam on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is known as the Brahmaputra River in India. The river is one of Asia’s longest and most significant waterways, flowing through Tibet before reaching India and Bangladesh.
Once completed, the dam is expected to generate 300 billion kWh (kilowatt-hours) of electricity annually, more than three times the output of the world’s current largest dam, China’s Three Gorges Dam, which produces 88.2 billion kWh annually. The Yarlung Tsangpo River is regarded as having vast hydropower potential, thanks to its steep gradient—a 2,000-meter drop over just 50 kilometers—making it an ideal location for such a major project.
The total cost of the dam’s construction could exceed 1 trillion yuan (approximately $137 billion), a sum that SCMP notes would make it the largest single infrastructure project in the world, surpassing other global megaprojects.
However, while details on the timeline and precise costs remain unclear, there are growing concerns about the environmental and social consequences of this enormous undertaking. Despite these concerns, Chinese officials have maintained that the environmental impact will be minimal, citing their efforts to mitigate harm to the ecosystem.
The project, however, is already facing significant opposition. Critics warn that the dam could displace millions of people in downstream countries like India and Bangladesh, who rely on the river for their water supply, livelihoods, and agriculture. Moreover, there are fears that the dam could drastically alter the river’s natural flow, disrupting both the ecosystem and local communities that depend on it.
