China starts construction of giant dam in Tibet

China has begun construction of another massive dam in Tibet. According to the state news agency Xinhua, Premier Li Qiang announced the start of construction at a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony in Nyingchi, in the south of the autonomous region near the border with India .

China plans to use the dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River to transmit large amounts of electricity to other areas, but also to generate energy for the region. According to official figures, Beijing expects the construction of the dam, which will consist of five power plants, to cost 1.2 trillion yuan (almost 144 billion euros).

Three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam

The Communist Party had included the construction of the dam in its current five-year plan. Last December, Beijing finally gave the green light. The dam is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually. It would have three times the capacity of the famous Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and would be the largest dam in the world. China sees the project as a contribution to its goal of peaking its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2060.

Representatives of the Chinese government stand on a wall at the start of construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project — Representatives of the Chinese government at the start of construction in the city of Nyingchi. Photo: Liu Bin/Xinhua/picture alliance

However, the large-scale project raises environmental concerns and fears of a serious impact on nature. Experts have repeatedly warned in the past of the devastating ecological impacts of such a giant dam. Furthermore, the area is prone to earthquakes.

Concerns about a "water war"

The project also involves India and Bangladesh, which lie along the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo. The Yarlung Tsangpo, known in India as the Brahmaputra, is one of the longest rivers in the world at approximately 3,000 kilometers. From the Himalayas in Tibet, it flows through India and Bangladesh , where it empties into the Ganges and finally into the Bay of Bengal. If China dams the water in its upper reaches, it will have repercussions for neighboring countries. Experts have already warned of a "water war."

India therefore warned China that the dam must not interfere with the water supply of neighboring countries. The dam is also located near an area over which Beijing and New Delhi have long laid claim to power. China calls the region Zangnan, while India calls it Arunachal Pradesh. The dispute over the area has repeatedly led to diplomatic tensions between the world's two most populous countries in recent months.

haz/se (dpa, afp)