CHINA has given the green light to plans for the world’s largest hydropower dam, despite protests from neighbouring countries.
Millions could be without water as Tibet is set to become home to the world’s most ambitious individual infrastructure project
The dam in the lower area of the Yarlung Zangbo River could generate three times more electricity than the current largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam in central China.
According to a 2020 estimate by Power Construction Corp of China, it could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.
The Asian country’s latest project comes with a hefty price tag as the government has allocated £114 billion to the entire project.
The Three Gorges Dam cost £29 billion in 2008 as it resettled 1.4 million people.
Despite officials claiming the project will not significantly affect the environment or water supplies, it remains unclear how many people will lose their homes.
The stakes are also high for India and Bangladesh who are concerned about how the dam will alter the downstream water supply.
India fears the project could trigger flash floods or create water droughts for the country.
The Yarlung Zangbo becomes India‘s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam river before flowing into Bangladesh.
In July, a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, Ninong Ering, told parliament that China could not be trusted.
He said: “We cannot trust our ‘neighbour’. You never know what they can do.
“They can either divert the entire river flow, drying up our Siang or release water at once, causing unprecedented floods and havoc downstream.”
China is planning more hydropower projects upstream of the Yarlung Zangbo to continue its hydropower generation.
The new dam aims to be completed by 2060 to help China achieve its net zero emissions.
Xinhua news agency reports that the newly approved construction project will create jobs in the area and help China meet its carbon peaking and neutrality goals.
The project site is on a tectonic plate boundary, making it a hotspot for potential earthquakes.
Tibet recently suffered from a 7.1 earthquake that saw at least 126 dead and injured 188 in the city.
The recent earthquakes also sent shockwaves of havoc in parts of Nepal and India.
The Chinese Air Force used specialist drones to look for survivors amongst the rubble around 50 miles from the quake’s epicentre.
