China is building the world's first "super dam" along the Yarlung-Zangbo River

China plans to three times increase the production of hydropower through the construction of a new dam that will replace the Yangtze River existing.

Known as the leader in the construction of reservoirs, China already has the largest number of active large dams in the world and a record hydroelectric power plant "Three Gorges" on the Yangtza River. Now the country seeks to set new records for the construction of supergly.

This project was announced in China in 2021, when the 14th-year plan of the country was approved. The new dam will be located on the lower reaches of the Yurung-Zangbo River, known in India as the Brahmaputra River. The river lays its journey through the Himalayas in the Tibetan Autonomous District, passing through the Great Canyon Yarlung Zangbo, which is the deepest canyon in the world.

The project is aimed at using considerable energy potential that is hidden in the rivers and rocks of this large region. According to the state media, its implementation can provide three times more hydroelectricity than producing three gorges currently.

The Government believes that this initiative will help to achieve the set goals for reducing carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

However, plans have caused disputes both within the country and abroad. During the construction of the three gorges, more than 1.25 million people were evicted from their homes, and many environmental systems of animals were extremely damaged. There are cautious concerns that the new dam on the Yarlung River Zangbo can have an even greater negative impact.

Rumors about the construction of superdambi caused tension among the neighbors of China who border it. Recently, China and India have been controversy over the Himalayas water resources, and recent events on the Yarlungo Zangbo River, also known as Brahmaputra, can further deepen this tension.

According to political analysts, India and Bangladesh are located below the river system and largely depend on its waters. Given that the Chinese dam can change the current and river bed, India is concerned about a possible reduction in water supply in its country.

The representative of the Ministry of Water Resources of India informed Al Jazeera, which plans to build its own 10-gigawatt project on another tributary of Brahmaputra to compensate for the influence of the Chinese dam.

Some Indian commentators claim that China has "wrapped its project with a veil of secrecy", trying to reduce the international reaction to the construction of the dam. They claim that without transparency, the full influence of the superdamba remains unknown until its construction is completed, and any objections will be delayed.

Similar disputes take place in other countries of the world. For example, Ethiopia actively builds a dam on the Blue Nile River, which has caused the irritation of Egypt, which is afraid to lose access to Nile waters. Also, control over the river complex of Tiger-Euphrates can shake the ancient rivalry in the Middle East.