China has launched construction of the Motuo Hydropower Station on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, aiming to create the world’s largest dam. The $1.67 billion project, inaugurated by Premier Li Qiang, is expected to generate three times more power than the Three Gorges Dam.
The dam has triggered concerns in India and Bangladesh due to its potential to control vital transboundary water flows. Experts warn it could threaten ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions downstream. Indian officials fear strategic manipulation of water, while Bangladesh has formally requested project details from Beijing.
Situated in a deep Himalayan gorge near Namcha Barwa mountain, the project includes multiple tunnels and cascading power stations. While China claims the project promotes clean energy and local development, critics cite environmental risks and repression of Tibetan dissent.
This initiative is part of Xi Jinping’s “xidiandongsong” strategy to channel western energy resources to eastern China, but it continues to raise geopolitical and ecological alarms across South Asia.