MEDOG MEGA-DAM AND THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER BASIN - GEOGRAPHY

Medog Mega-Dam and the Brahmaputra River Basin - GEOGRAPHY

NEWS: China’s mega-hydropower dam, planned across the Brahmaputra at the Great Bend region in Medog County, Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), has been in development for decades.

 

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?

    • Included in China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2020) and approved on December 25, 2024.
  1. Capacity and Impact:
    • Proposed 60 GW capacity makes it one of the largest hydroelectric projects globally.
    • Has serious implications for downstream nations—India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.

Geographic and Geopolitical Context

  1. Transboundary Nature of the Brahmaputra:
    • Spans four countries: China (uppermost riparian), India, Bhutan, and Bangladesh (lowermost riparian).
    • Known as the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, the river drains into the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh.
  2. Geopolitical Tensions:
    • Transboundary river systems are often treated as strategic resources, controlled through hydraulic infrastructure.
    • Mega-dams are symbols of sovereignty, leading to intense geopolitical power struggles in the Brahmaputra basin.
  3. China’s Dominance:
    • Controls Tibet’s rivers, holding an upper riparian advantage.
    • Key past projects include the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River and the Zangmu Dam (2015) on the Yarlung Zangbo.

Risks to Communities and Ecosystems

  1. Disruption of Traditional Knowledge:
    • Communities have historically adapted to the Brahmaputra’s natural flow and patterns.
    • Mega-dams disrupt these rhythms, rendering traditional knowledge ineffective.
  2. Environmental and Social Consequences:
    • Upstream and downstream communities face adverse impacts on lands and livelihoods.
    • The dam threatens the perennial flow of the river, leading to:
      • Decline in surface water levels.
      • Disruption of monsoon patterns.
      • Groundwater depletion.
  3. Ecological Impact:
    • Sensitive Himalayan bioregion/ecoregion faces the risk of catastrophic consequences.
    • Agro-pastoral systems, biodiversity, and riverine ecosystems are at stake.

The Dam-Building Race in the Brahmaputra Basin

  1. Competing Projects:
    • China: Medog Mega-Dam (Great Bend).
    • India: Upper Siang Dam, its largest proposed hydropower project.
    • Bhutan: Multiple medium-to-small dams, raising concerns in India and Bangladesh.
  2. Lack of Cooperative Frameworks:
    • None of the riparian nations have signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (2014).
    • India and China’s Expert Level Mechanism (ELM), active since 2006, lacks a comprehensive bilateral treaty for managing transboundary rivers.
  3. Geopolitical Posturing:
    • The unresolved India-China border dispute exacerbates tensions in the river basin, making it a site for strategic competition.

Climate Change and Disaster Risks

  1. Vulnerability of Himalayan Rivers:
    • Tibet’s rivers are vital to the Earth’s cryosphere (permafrost and glaciers) and global climate systems.
    • Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and climate change events are increasing in the Himalayas.
  2. Past Disasters:
    • Chungthang Dam collapse (Sikkim, 2023) caused widespread devastation.
    • The 1950 Medog Earthquake (Assam-Tibet Earthquake) permanently altered the riparian landscape, highlighting the region’s seismic sensitivity.
  3. Implications of Mega-Dams:
    • Territorialization of rivers through dams disrupts natural life cycles, leading to:
      • Increased disaster risks.
      • Threats to biodiversity and wetland systems.
      • Loss of traditional agrarian and pastoral practices.

China’s Hydrological Strategy

  1. ‘Rogue River’ Narrative:
    • In Chinese history, the Yarlung Zangbo is referred to as a ‘river gone rogue’ due to its sharp southward turn at the Great Bend.
    • Mega-dams are seen as efforts to discipline this anomaly and assert control.
  2. Hydropower as a State Symbol:
    • Dams like the Medog project are symbolic of China’s technological and political power.

A Way Forward for Riparian Cooperation

  1. Bioregional/Ecoregional Framework:
    • Advocates a shift from securitization to cooperation in managing Himalayan rivers.
    • Emphasizes regional and ecological protection over narrow technocratic projects.
  2. India’s Role:
    • India can assume leadership by promoting cooperative, sustainable water management practices instead of engaging in a dam-building race.
    • Avoiding a "dam-for-a-dam" strategy will preserve regional water security and ecological balance.

Future Perspectives

  1. Academic Insights:
    • Books like Rivers of the Asian Highlands (2024) emphasize the need for planetary thinking over technocratic dam-building.
    • Highlight the critical importance of the Himalayas for global climate systems.
  2. Call for Historical Context:
    • Understanding the fragile and disaster-prone history of the region is essential for informed decision-making.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/the-implications-of-chinas-mega-dam-project-explained/article69064553.ece