China to build world’s largest dam, will affect India and Bangladesh

Last Updated on December 29, 2024 5:50 am

China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric dam near the source of the Yamuna and Brahmaputra rivers in Tibet, China. Many people in Bangladesh and India may be affected by this project in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau.

This dam will be built on the Yarlung Zangbo River. This river is known as the Brahmaputra and Jamuna in Bangladesh through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, India.

China Power Construction Corp hopes to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year by building the dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet.

The Three Gorges Dam located in central China is currently considered the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. The new dam will be able to generate three times more electricity than the Three Gorges Dam.

The new project will play a key role in China’s carbon neutrality goals, boost related industries such as engineering, and create jobs in Tibet, the country’s official news agency Xinhua said.

The new dam is expected to cost more than the Three Gorges Dam, which will cost about 1.5 million people to relocate. The Three Gorges Dam cost 34.83 billion U.S. dollars to build.

Chinese authorities have not provided details on how many people the Tibet project will displace or what impact it will have on one of the plateau’s richest and most diverse ecosystems.

However, they have said the dam will not have a major impact on the environment or the downstream water supply.

Bangladesh and India have nevertheless expressed concerns about the dam. It is feared that the project will not only change the local ecosystem, but also change the flow and course of the river downstream.