In the remote places of Tibet, a massive hydropower project is taking shape that threatens to reshape not just a river, but the lives of millions and the delicate ecological balance of Asia’s most critical water source.
The planned 60,000 MW Motok Hydropower Project, situated in the great bend area of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) in Medog county, Nyingchi, represents the latest chapter in China’s aggressive infrastructure development in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Currently, excavation activities are underway in the Doshong area, with tunnel construction progressing approximately 30 kilometers north of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and immediately upstream of the river’s entry point into India.
This strategic location is particularly concerning, as the project is likely to degrade water quality during its estimated five-year construction period and potentially enable China to exercise unprecedented control over critical water resources that sustain millions of people across South and Southeast Asia.
By restricting hydrological data and refusing regional accords, China effectively weaponizes its control over these critical water sources, potentially manipulating downstream countries through water access.
The Motok project is not an isolated initiative, but part of a much broader approach to hydropower development in Tibet.
China has been accelerating the implementation of dam-building plans across the Tibetan plateau, transforming what was once among the least disturbed habitats on earth into an extensive network of hydroelectric infrastructure.
During a visit to Sichuan, President Xi Jinping explicitly urged provincial officials to advance Chinese modernization by exploiting the Tibetan plateau’s resources, highlighting water, electricity, and minerals as key strategic assets.
The environmental and human consequences of these projects are profound.
Research analyzing 193 hydroelectric dams constructed or planned in Tibet since 2000 reveals a staggering scale of displacement and environmental destruction.
From available data, at least 144,468 people are directly affected by these hydropower projects, with 121,651 already expelled from their traditional lands since 2000.
Extrapolating these figures suggests a lower limit of 750,000 people have been or will be displaced, with potentially up to 1.2 million people impacted.
These are not mere statistics, but represent entire communities with rich cultural histories being systematically uprooted.
The Khamtok hydroelectric dam project in eastern Tibet’s Derge county provides a stark example, where thousands of Tibetans will be forcibly removed from their villages, and centuries-old Buddhist monasteries—irreplaceable cultural assets—will be irretrievably demolished.
The environmental toll is equally devastating. While Chinese authorities market these projects as “clean and green” energy solutions, the reality is far more complex.
Constructing these high-altitude dams involves significant carbon emissions from processing and transporting fossil fuel-intensive materials.
The massive concrete walls require importing enormous quantities of cement produced through fossil fuel burning, while blasting and trucking rock from steep valley walls causes substantial ecological disruption.
These dams pose significant risks to the entire ecosystem. They are susceptible to—and can actually trigger—earthquakes, landslides, and flash floods.
By interrupting natural water flows, they damage vulnerable and biodiverse ecosystems, reducing water quality and disrupting aquatic life.
The implications extend far beyond Tibet; these rivers are the source of water for approximately 1.8 billion people across China, South, and Southeast Asia.
The geopolitical dimensions are equally complex. China’s approach to these water resources is fundamentally about control, using hydro-diplomacy as a strategic tool.
The potential degradation of water quality over a five-year construction period is just the beginning of a much larger environmental and human rights concern that demands global attention and action.
By restricting hydrological data and refusing regional accords, China effectively weaponizes its control over these critical water sources, potentially manipulating downstream countries through water access.
Critically, these projects also challenge the very cultural identity of Tibetan communities.
China is not just building infrastructure but attempting to reshape Tibetan inner landscapes, seeking to eradicate a separate sense of identity and history while compelling compliance with Chinese cultural nationalism.
The scientific community increasingly questions the climate benefits of such massive hydropower projects. Contrary to claims of carbon neutrality, dams can release substantial methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
The long-term emissions and ecological disruption often outweigh any potential green energy advantages.
Alternatives exist, and they are more promising. Experts recommend a radical shift towards truly sustainable energy solutions like solar and wind power, with critical considerations for environmental assessment, community consent, and co-management.
Innovations such as portable solar technologies and energy installations that can coexist with traditional Tibetan pastoral practices offer more holistic approaches. The stakes could not be higher.
These dam projects represent more than infrastructure—they are a test of environmental stewardship, human rights, and global ecological responsibility.
The continued construction of these massive hydropower projects without meaningful dialogue with Tibetan communities risks not just local destruction, but potential regional instability.
The monks, nuns, and local people pleading to save their temples and towns are not just resisting a dam—they are defending a way of life, an ecosystem, and a future that respects both human and natural heritage.
Their struggle is a powerful reminder that true progress cannot come at the cost of cultural extinction and environmental catastrophe.
The Motok Hydropower Project stands as a symbol of this broader challenge.
Approximately 30 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control and positioned strategically upstream, it threatens to fundamentally alter the water dynamics of an entire region.
The potential degradation of water quality over a five-year construction period is just the beginning of a much larger environmental and human rights concern that demands global attention and action.
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