China to Build World’s Longest Dam on Brahmaputra River: In the Wake of Environmental Concern
China apparently has now resolved to create the world’s biggest dam positioned on the Brahmaputra River that flows into Tibet, functioning as a border region sharing with India. This is a world mega power project all set to come through in the Himalayas most fragile and weak zone seismology at an almost cost of nearly 137 billion U.S. dollar.
The dam is being constructed at the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is referred to as Brahmaputra in Tibet. China’s Foreign Ministry said that the project has been strictly scientifically verified and will minimize any possible negative impacts on the ecological environment, geology, and water resources of the downstream countries, including India and Bangladesh. The dam, according to the Chinese government, is one of those that will ensure prevention of natural disasters and climate change. In addition, its completion will enhance clean energy output.
The strategic gorge of the hydropower project would be built at a place where the Brahmaputra curves to join Arunachal Pradesh and later Bangladesh. There, strategic gorges are part of gorges from where the highest potential exists for generating maximum energy through proper water flow management and power distribution by taking care of contours.
Indian Concerns and Diplomatic Responses
India has strongly opposed the proposed dam. It has pointed to the potential risks of conflict coming from the probable unequal distribution of water resources between the downstream states dependent on the Brahmaputra River. India demanded that China provide guarantees in the construction process regarding the protection of the interests of the downstream countries. The proposed dam, this time around again, India comes out with all its earlier recommendations of transparency and consultation with downstream countries so no ecological or humanitarian disaster may strike the region.
The External Affairs Ministry of India, again and again, has expressed its apprehensions in detail, in expert-level discussions, and in diplomatic ways. India has clarified the fact that it is a lower riparian and has established user right to the waters of the river, and hence, cooperative measures are required for mutual interests.
International Involvement and Strategic Implications
Discussions over the Brahmaputra dam issue are also said to have figured in the agenda during the meeting between Indian officials and their international counterparts. The most relevant one here is that, while visiting Delhi, US National Security Adviser reportedly met India’s External Affairs Minister for reviewing the course of India-US global strategic partnership in light of broader infrastructure developments and geopolitical concerns to China.
China Vindicated the Project
China states that it will not have any impact on riparian to have any damage effect. The ministry in China explained through foreign has claimed that, ‘questions related to issues of concerns and safety fears, which included ‘numerous study’ over various periods of many years’. According to Chinese government the dam was meant to add part in developing clean energy for countering of extreme hydrological catastrophes, and this shall also affect climatic alterations.
For example, it agreed to keep open lines of communication with the States on the low-lying bank alone except when raising cooperative activities on relief/ prevention events that might occur in the affairs of the disaster toward having higher relief among its riparians so that all the riparians could be shared coincidentally to make regional stability within the world.
Environmental and Geological Considerations
This region is very sensitive to considerable geological disturbances such as earth movements and landslides, though very rich in biodiversity and natural resources. Severe environmental and safety issues would rise with the construction of such a big dam. Experts state that in case of any kind of structural failure, disaster would be caused for the surrounding ecosystems and human populations.
Such change will affect the aquatic life as well as the means of livelihoods in the communities whose subsistence it has been in reliance on Brahmaputra River. The massive infrastructure projects continue to interfere with the balance in the ecology within this region which already is stressed under the impacts from climate change.
Future Prospect
The proposed Brahmaputra River dam has now come to prove itself as a watershed in Sino-Indian relations and regional environmental management. While China hails the merits emerging on issues of economics and environment relating to the dam, India and a myriad of other countries downstream are agitated by threats emanating from such a development. International scrutiny has keenly followed developments which it has interpreted accordingly in terms of regional stability and sustainability.
Continuous deliberations between China, India, and the other concerned parties would be important in the future as issues stated would be discussed and settled to ensure that this dam is responsibly constructed and operated. A face-off of economic prosperity and environmental protection faces all parties.
Source: Statements by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Indian External Affairs Ministry, and other Government Officials, which were used to develop reports.