To build a big dam

Friends, China has officially started construction on the 1.2 trillion yuan hydropower project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. This major move not only completely reshapes China’s hydropower development layout, but also ushers the contest over water resources in South Asia into a brand-new stage. When the news spread from Beijing to India’s capital, New Delhi, it instantly blew up on social media. On Twitter, the dam in Tibet became a hot topic, and many Indian television stations repeatedly broadcast aerial footage of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. The anchors reported with such urgency that it sounded like a strong wind was blowing. So, just how impressive is this super project? It plans to build five hydropower stations continuously along a 500-kilometer stretch of the river, with a combined power generation capacity of 60 million kilowatts, producing about 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year—roughly equivalent to 1.5 times the output of the Three Gorges Dam. The plan is to complete the main construction in 12 years, and have all the generators fully operational within 15 years. How will the 1.2 trillion yuan investment be spent? About 40% goes into building dams and digging tunnels—these civil engineering works. Another 20% will be spent on purchasing generators, transformers, and other electromechanical equipment. Around 15% is allocated to building transmission lines to deliver the power. Another 10% is specifically reserved for ecological protection. The remaining 15% will be used to relocate and resettle residents. The environmental impact assessment report alone is 2,000 pages long. It not only aims to preserve the river’s natural form, but also to restore alpine meadows. In the future, the relocated locals will live in newly planned tourist towns. In fact, as early as 1919, Sun Yat-sen already proposed developing the Yarlung Tsangpo’s water resources in his National Development Plan. From then until the official groundbreaking on July 20, 2025, this “heavenly river” has waited 106 years. For over a century, the Chinese people have longed to tap into the Yarlung Tsangpo’s hydropower potential. Now, this dream has finally come true. This grand project is not just a pile of numbers, but a true technological upgrade. For the first time, China’s self-developed 800-megawatt hydro turbine units are being deployed at scale. The Beidou satellite navigation system works in tandem with hard-rock tunneling machines, and digital blasting technology enables millisecond-level precision monitoring during construction. All of these allow the project’s pace to far surpass that of the Three Gorges or Baihetan hydropower stations. China’s hydropower technology has risen from mediocrity to the world’s best—moving from following others’ standards to setting our own. And while building, we have not forgotten ecological protection. We deliberately left 33 kilometers of natural river channel as a sanctuary for fish, and restored 1,200 hectares of alpine tundra above the tunnels. This shows that our understanding of hydropower has become much more comprehensive: It’s not just about generating electricity, but about integrating energy supply, economic development, ecological protection, and people’s livelihoods—forming the backbone of green development. The Yarlung Tsangpo hydropower project carries enormous national significance. It secures energy safety and strengthens geopolitical security. It is also a crucial piece of the puzzle in the “West-to-East Power Transmission” and “carbon neutrality” strategies. When completed, it will generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, equivalent to saving about 90 million tons of standard coal and reducing 240 million tons of CO₂ emissions. It will also provide green power for AI and new energy vehicle industries. Controlling the upper Yarlung Tsangpo means holding the initiative. After it flows out of China, the river becomes the Brahmaputra, supporting millions in India and Bangladesh. With cascade dams, China can store tens of billions of cubic meters of water, releasing it during drought and holding it during floods—optimizing water allocation. Every drop of water released can send an important signal. Thus, the project is not just a power plant but also a vital strategic water resource, giving China more say in South Asian affairs. The Yarlung Tsangpo project is truly extraordinary—it is rewriting the rules of international river development. It proposes a new approach of full-basin cooperation. At first, Bangladesh worried the river flow would change, but what they really care about is whether water supply can remain stable during dry seasons, because the Brahmaputra’s low flows in dry seasons cause over $1.2 billion in annual agricultural losses in Bangladesh. China’s cascade dams, on the other hand, can regulate flow and help reduce those losses. Nepal and even Bhutan see this as a great opportunity for cooperation; Bhutan has already approached China about jointly developing cross-border water resources and learning China’s advanced hydropower technology. China’s technical strength in managing international rivers is pushing people to rethink traditional water rights theories. Of course, there are also plenty of troublemakers. The U.S. jumped in, claiming to worry about downstream countries’ water security—but anyone can see it’s just trying to use this to rally South Asian countries to contain China. The EU isn’t much better, supporting environmental NGOs to accuse the project of harming glaciers—while ignoring the countless dams they themselves have built on the Rhine and Danube. This double standard only proves that the Yarlung Tsangpo project is no ordinary infrastructure—it breaks the rules set by the West and marks a milestone for China taking charge of its own water resource development. For India, the impact of this project directly affects the China–India border situation. After the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, India deployed 120,000 troops on the eastern border, trying to compensate for geographic disadvantage with manpower. But once this project is operational, the situation changes. China won’t even need to move a single soldier—just adjusting river flow could put pressure on India. For example, if during the dry season we reduce the water flowing into India by 10%, Assam’s tea plantations could suffer due to lack of irrigation. And if we release water early before the monsoon, India’s border roads could be paralyzed by flooding for a month. This kind of non-military deterrence is more effective than simply sending more troops and could strategically shift the border dynamics. Naturally, India won’t just sit idly by. So they’ve started building over 70 small hydropower stations in China’s southern Tibet in an attempt to weaken China’s control over the river by scattering development. But the combined capacity of those stations is only 3 million kilowatts, with outdated technology and serious ecological damage—clearly no match. On top of that, India’s intelligence agencies keep infiltrating Tibet and paying locals to stage so-called environmental protests. But China’s grassroots management in Tibet is strong, and none of these sabotage attempts have succeeded. Meanwhile, India’s own Tehri Dam on the upper Ganges has diverted so much water that Bangladesh suffers huge irrigation shortages every year—yet India still has the audacity to criticize China’s project. That’s India’s double standard. On the other hand, Tibet’s own development path is also changing thanks to this project. Previously, Tibet relied on state subsidies and tourism to get by. Now, with the hydropower, energy, and ecological industries booming, other industries are upgrading too, creating new ways to earn. Construction has driven cement demand in Tibet up several times over. Sichuan’s heavy equipment factories are overwhelmed with orders. Even before the Chongqing–Nyingchi railway is fully completed, its freight capacity is already near full. For the 18,000 relocated residents, it’s not just about moving—they’re being settled into planned tourist towns, made shareholders, and even given stakes in homestay businesses. According to the plan, by 2035, their incomes are expected to multiply several times over. Tibet will no longer depend on handouts but earn from its own resources. This hydropower project is like a bond, tightly linking Tibet with the nation’s energy supply, economic development, and progress. It’s not just about immediate results, but about China’s steady determination to grow stronger step by step. The great river roars, and the rules are rewritten. On the roof of the world, China is building not just dams, but also a steel backbone of national will. As for India—if it remains stubborn, this river will teach it who truly is the master of Asia’s water tower.