China has officially acknowledged the construction of the largest dam ever conceived in human history, although satellite images suggest work began earlier, following parliamentary approval in 2021.
Situated on the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) River near the Indian border in a seismically active zone, the super-dam represents a potential ticking water bomb for downstream communities in northeastern India.
Once completed, the super-dam will dwarf the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, currently the world's largest. It is set to drastically alter water flows into India and Bangladesh, destabilize the region's ecological balance, and significantly boost China's geopolitical leverage over its southern neighbor and rival India.
Brahma Chellaney