Himalayan dam, regional stakes

Situated on the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra), China's latest Himalayan mega project promises enough electricity to power hundreds of millions, yet its effects could ripple far beyond Tibet, shaping water security, agriculture, and climate resilience across South and Southeast Asia.

- Genevieve Donnellon-May

The Yarlung Tsangpo — as this gigantic dam project is named — comprises five cascade dams along a steep Himalayan gorge at the river’s dramatic ‘Great Bend’.

Project construction officially began in 2025, and it is projected to generate 300 billion kWh annually. At an estimated cost of 1.2 trillion yuan (5.37 trillion baht), it will be the world’s largest dam and will wield far-reaching impacts on riparian countries and downstream areas, including India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia.

The project's location amplifies both hydrological and strategic significance. Medog County lies just 30km from the contested border with India. It's a remote site — sandwiched between mountains and plunging nearly 2,000km over a 50km stretch — that offers ideal conditions for hydropower generation.

The river rises on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, flows into India as the Siang, becomes the Brahmaputra in Assam, and the Jamuna in Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. Along this course, it sustains roughly 130 million people, provides nearly one-third of India’s freshwater resources, supports fisheries for two million Bangladeshi fishermen, and meets 55% of irrigation needs. For India, the river is essential for both water and energy security, while for China, it plays a more limited national role but remains significant for Tibet's agricultural and energy industries.