Mega Dam on Yarlung Tsangpo River Sparks Flood Fears in India and Bangladesh

Researchers warn that China's planned mega dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo River could trigger severe floods and water flow changes in the region. Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan University state that Tibetan plateau temperatures are rising at twice the global average, causing glaciers to melt rapidly.

Flood Risks

Tree-ring studies covering a 700-year period from 1325 to 2020 show the river previously experienced 14 major droughts and 14 major floods. Computer models using UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change data indicate that water flow between 2030 and 2100 will exceed historical natural levels, raising the risk of extreme floods.

Border Tensions

A geological report from June 2026 shows the 60,000-megawatt hydropower project, triple the power of the Three Gorges Dam, sits directly on an active earthquake fault line in the Medog county of southeast Tibet. Indian and Bangladeshi authorities are concerned about potential water shortages or sudden water releases. Meanwhile, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Director General Shatrujit Singh Kapoor reported ongoing standoffs between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the dam construction, border patrols, and trade deficits.

Context

Cross-border river projects often create diplomatic tensions when upper riparian nations alter water flows without transparent data sharing with lower riparian countries like India and Bangladesh. The Yarlung Tsangpo is known as the Brahmaputra in India and the Jamuna in Bangladesh, supporting millions of livelihoods along its basin.