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Newsweek
23-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Satellite Photos Show Where China Is Building World's Biggest Hydro Dam
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Satellite imagery gives a glimpse of the site where China has commenced construction on what will become the world's largest dam and China's most ambitious infrastructure project since the Three Gorges Dam. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Power Construction Corporation of China via email for comment outside of office hours. Why It Matters The mega dam will boost China's green energy output and put the country a step closer to achieving President Xi Jinping's goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2060—although China remains the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The controversial project has raised environmental and geopolitical concerns due to its impact on one of Asia's most biodiverse river systems and the millions who depend on its water downstream in India and Bangladesh. What To Know The groundbreaking for the mega-project, which has an estimated cost of around $168 billion, took place on Friday at the southern reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Mainling, Nyinchi City, in the southwestern region of Tibet. Using images of the event published by Chinese state media, open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon was able to geolocate the construction site, he wrote Tuesday on X. The site can be seen in the following images, captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on July 11, 2025. Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on July 11, 2025, shows the site of a groundbreaking ceremony where China's Medog mega dam—the world's largest hydropower project—will be built on the Yarlung Zangbo River in... Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on July 11, 2025, shows the site of a groundbreaking ceremony where China's Medog mega dam—the world's largest hydropower project—will be built on the Yarlung Zangbo River in its southwestern Tibet region. More Copernicus China's No. 2, Premier Li Qiang, who attended Friday's ceremony, hailed the undertaking as the "project of the century" and stressed that measures must be taken to prevent ecological damage, state media reported. However, India and Bangladesh have expressed concerns that the dam will affect downstream water flows, fisheries, and flood risks. Indian officials have highlighted the potential threat to local livelihoods and regional stability if river flows are altered without consultation. The Yarlung Tsangpo River becomes the Brahmaputra in India and then the Jamuna in Bangladesh, serving as a critical freshwater source for millions. Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on July 11, 2025, shows the site of a groundbreaking ceremony where China's Medog mega dam—the world's largest hydropower project—will be built on the Yarlung Zangbo River in... Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on July 11, 2025, shows the site of a groundbreaking ceremony where China's Medog mega dam—the world's largest hydropower project—will be built on the Yarlung Zangbo River in its southwestern Tibet region. More Copernicus What People Are Saying Brahma Chellaney, professor of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, on X: "China's super-dam will disrupt the Brahmaputra's natural flow of nutrient-rich sediment from the Himalayas—a lifeline for the river's ecological health. "The super-dam will also disrupt the Brahmaputra's natural flooding cycle, which sustains fisheries and rejuvenates overworked soils. Without the seasonal delivery of silt, the floodplains of Assam and Bangladesh will lose their natural fertility." What Happens Next The Medog dam will comprise five cascade hydropower stations and is expected to begin operating sometime in the 2030s. Once it does, the project eclipses the output and scale of China's colossal Three Gorges Dam. The initiative, managed by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, aims to produce up to 300 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually—on par with the amount of electricity in the United Kingdom last year.
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Assam CM on Pak ‘scare narrative': Could Chinese dams affect Brahmaputra flow in India?
To counter 'Pakistan's scare narrative' about Chinese dams on the Brahmaputra, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has pointed out that '65-70% [of the Brahmaputra's flow] is generated within India, and 'even if China were to reduce water flow…, it may actually help…mitigate the annual floods in Assam…'. The Brahmaputra, lifeline of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, originates as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and enters India near Gelling in Arunachal Pradesh. The river, which is called Siang in Arunachal, is joined by many tributaries in Assam as it flows down the plains before entering Bangladesh, where it is called Jamuna. What interventions does China plan? India has been monitoring Chinese infrastructure interventions on the river. Most are hydropower projects with minimal storage, and are located far upstream of Arunachal Pradesh, with no significant impact in Arunachal or Assam. A major concern is the planned Medog (or Motuo) Hydropower Project, a massive dam in Medog County near the 'Great Bend' where the river makes a U-turn and plunges into a canyon before entering Arunachal Pradesh. According to reports, the planned 60,000-MW Medog project will be the world's largest hydropower facility, with a generation capacity three times that of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, currently the world's largest hydropower station. Not many details of the Medog project are available, but it is unlikely to have a large storage component that would have a major impact downstream. Concerns have also been raised over China's massive, multi-decade South-North Water Diversion (SNWD) project, the Western Route of which apparently involves diverting water from the Yarlung Tsangpo (and other rivers) to the country's dry northern regions. However, no official sources or studies are available on these reported plans. How much of the Brahmaputra's water yield is generated in India? Official Indian estimates suggest that although the portion in India constitutes only 34.2% of the total basin area, it contributes to more than 80% of the Brahmaputra's yield, making the Tibet Autonomous Region a minor contributor to the basin's overall yield. This is because the Tibetan Plateau is a region of scanty rainfall, of the order of 300 mm annually. By contrast, the southern part of the river basin in India receives 2,371 mm of rain on average every year, and very few places receive less than 1,200 mm. (See figure) Also, the Brahmaputra receives a number of tributaries at both its northern and southern banks. The yield of the river system is increased significantly by the annual monsoon from June to September. Many of the Brahmaputra's tributaries also receive considerable contributions from snowmelt, mostly in the Indian catchment area. To what extent can upstream interventions reduce the Brahmaputra's flow? Based on available information, and given the contributions from the Brahmaputra's tributaries and the monsoon rain in Indian territory, no significant impact is expected overall. However, changes in the river's flow patterns can impact hydropower projects planned on the Siang during the lean period and during peak power production. As a mitigation strategy, India could plan storage on rivers of the Brahmaputra system to absorb the variations in flows (periods of flooding and reduced flows). The Upper Siang Project, for example, will not only generate power, its storage can also serve as a buffer against variations in flows. Risks of flooding may also arise from intentional or unintentional operation of reservoirs in Tibet, as well as unforeseen events such as dam failure, landslides, or earthquakes. Upstream interventions have the potential to affect the river morphology, with consequences for riverine flora and fauna. How is India using the water potential of the Brahmaputra system? The Brahmaputra and its tributaries carry more than 30% of the country's total water resources potential, and 41% of the total hydropower potential, as per estimates in the CWC-ISRO Brahmaputra Basin Atlas. However, hydropower in Arunachal Pradesh is the only significant planned use. The utilisation of potential has been slow due to difficulties of land acquisition and concern over the submergence of forest lands, etc. The National Water Development Authority has proposed two links to connect the Brahmaputra and its tributaries to the Ganga basin with the aim of transferring surplus water to water-scarce regions. These are (i) the Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga Link, joining the Manas, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, to the Ganga via the Sankosh and Teesta; and (ii) the Jogighopa-Teesta-Farakka Link, joining the Brahmaputra at the planned Jogighopa Barrage to the Ganga at the Farakka Barrage. Neither of these proposed river-linking projects are expected to be impacted in any significant way by upstream intervention in the Brahmaputra in Tibet. Going forward, what should India do in regard to China and the Brahmaputra? It is important for India to assess the effects by conducting detailed multi-disciplinary scientific studies, and prepare an adaptive strategy. It needs to use diplomatic channels to actively seek detailed hydrological and project-related data to continuously assess the downstream impact of Chinese infrastructure interventions. India should also work to develop comprehensive data sharing protocols with China for advance warning and disaster preparedness. Could Chinese dam-building activity interfere with flows in the Indus river system, specifically the flow of the Sutlej? Both the Sutlej and Indus originate in Tibet, and China has planned and executed hydropower projects on these rivers in Tibet. The large reservoir at Bhakra (Gobind Sagar) in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh, can absorb variations in the flow of the Sutlej, even though there can be some impact on the generation pattern of hydropower projects such as Nathpa Jhakri. On the Indus, India does not have significant consumptive use. However, there may be some impact on the run-of-the-river Nimoo Bazgo hydropower plant in Ladakh. Naresh Kumar Mathur is former Member, Central Water Commission (CWC) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. These are his personal views, based on publicly available data, and do not represent the views of organisations with which he is/ was associated. Debarshee Dasgupta is Senior Research Associate with the Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies, and Development Studies program of the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Chinese ambulance uses siren to clear way for tourists, sparks public outrage
An emergency crew in China which illegitimately used its ambulance siren and flashing lights to clear a way on a popular tourist highway in Tibet has triggered a public backlash. Advertisement The incident happened on the 117km long road that connects the rest of China to the remote county of Medog in the mountainous autonomous region in the western part of the country. Medog used to be known as China's last roadless county because of its difficult geological conditions before the highway opened in 2013. The road has been popular among tourists nationwide for the beautiful scenery along the route. The driver of the ambulance claimed only the police could stop him from using his flashing lights and siren. Photo: On May 12, a driving tour enthusiast from Shandong province in eastern China posted a video online criticising an ambulance crew for using their siren to clear their way on the highway.
