[🇧🇩] Dam on Brahmaputra and It's Impact on Bangladesh

[Saif]

Date of Event: Jan 28, 2025

Source : https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/china-india-will-be-urged-consider-bangladeshs-interests-during-dam-construction-rizwana-3809971

China, India will be urged to consider Bangladesh’s interests during dam construction: Rizwana​

Photo: Star

Bangladesh will request China and India to ensure that planned dams on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and near the Tibet border are constructed without compromising Bangladesh's interests, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today.

"China has assured us that the project will not harm Bangladesh. We have formally sought details about the plan," she said replying to a query after coming out from the 55th governing board meeting of the River Research Institute (RRI) in Faridpur Circuit House.

On India's proposed dam, she said, "There are internal disputes within India regarding the project, and we are working to protect our national interests."

Padma and Teesta rivers are already experiencing reduced water flow and if the Brahmaputra's flow is reduced, Bangladesh will face severe challenges, she said, reports UNB.

Emphasising the importance of the RRI, she said it has the potential to deliver significant results if provided with adequate resources. "The the government is working to secure larger allocations for research in the upcoming budget."

Commenting on the impact of illigal sand lifting from rivers, she said, "Research has been initiated to assess how sand extraction is affecting our rivers."

Following the briefing, the adviser inspected the institute's operations and the Water Development Board.

China recently approved the construction of the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet's Medog County, near the border with India.

The project, described as China's most ambitious, was officially announced in 2020.

In response, Indian officials began exploring the possibility of building a counter-dam to address potential disruptions caused by China's project.

[Our Faridpur correspondent contributed to this report]​

 

[Krishna with Flute]

China, India will be urged to consider Bangladesh’s interests during dam construction: Rizwana​

View attachment 13739​

Photo: Star

Bangladesh will request China and India to ensure that planned dams on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh and near the Tibet border are constructed without compromising Bangladesh's interests, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan today.

"China has assured us that the project will not harm Bangladesh. We have formally sought details about the plan," she said replying to a query after coming out from the 55th governing board meeting of the River Research Institute (RRI) in Faridpur Circuit House.

On India's proposed dam, she said, "There are internal disputes within India regarding the project, and we are working to protect our national interests."

Padma and Teesta rivers are already experiencing reduced water flow and if the Brahmaputra's flow is reduced, Bangladesh will face severe challenges, she said, reports UNB.

Emphasising the importance of the RRI, she said it has the potential to deliver significant results if provided with adequate resources. "The the government is working to secure larger allocations for research in the upcoming budget."

Commenting on the impact of illigal sand lifting from rivers, she said, "Research has been initiated to assess how sand extraction is affecting our rivers."

Following the briefing, the adviser inspected the institute's operations and the Water Development Board.

China recently approved the construction of the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet's Medog County, near the border with India.

The project, described as China's most ambitious, was officially announced in 2020.

In response, Indian officials began exploring the possibility of building a counter-dam to address potential disruptions caused by China's project.

[Our Faridpur correspondent contributed to this report]​

Concerns are genuine. As China is constructing a dam on upstream, India is compelled to construction of dam in downstream so as to ensure no blackmail of flooding in India and Bangladesh.

 

[Bilal9]

Concerns are genuine. As China is constructing a dam on upstream, India is compelled to construction of dam in downstream so as to ensure no blackmail of flooding in India and Bangladesh.

Likely Bangladesh will need to construct a dam at the border to counteract any flooding as well.

Similar dams and catchment reservoirs will need to be built at all common river points entering Bangladesh - especially Teesta river which is ripe for activation anytime this year.

Bangladesh has a riparian agreement with India (and scheduled annual meetings with India for this purpose) but I don't think we have one with China yet.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Likely Bangladesh will need to construct a dam at the border to counteract any flooding as well.

Similar dams and catchment reservoirs will need to be built at all common river points entering Bangladesh - especially Teesta river which is ripe for activation anytime this year.

Bangladesh has a riparian agreement with India (and scheduled annual meetings with India for this purpose) but I don't think we have one with China yet.

There should be a suitable location in hilly area. Once river enters plane, dam cannot be constructed.

 

[Saif]

Why China's neighbours are worried about its new mega-dam project

China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain. The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, and Chinese construction and engineering st

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Why China's neighbours are worried about its new mega-dam project

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 23, 2025 12:10
Updated :
Jul 23, 2025 12:10

China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain.

The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, and Chinese construction and engineering stocks surged after Premier Li Qiang unveiled it on the weekend.

For Beijing, the project promises clean power, jobs and a jolt of stimulus for a slowing economy. For neighbours downstream, it stirs old anxieties about water security: the Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, a lifeline for millions.

WHAT EXACTLY DID CHINA APPROVE?

The plan involves five dams along a 50‑km stretch where the river plunges 2,000  metres off the Tibetan Plateau. First power is expected to be generated in the early‑to‑mid 2030s, but beyond that and the price tag, China has published little information about how it intends to build the project.

WHY ARE NEIGHBOURS CONCERNED

That lack of information is compounding fears about water security in India and Bangladesh, which rely on the Brahmaputra for irrigation, hydropower and drinking water.

The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, said earlier this year that the dam could dry out 80 percent of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas such as neighbouring Assam state.

In addition to water, the dam will also mean less sediment flowing downstream, according to Michael Steckler, a professor at Columbia University. That sediment carries nutrients essential for agriculture on floodplains downstream.

India and China fought a border war in this region in the 1960s, and the lack of transparency from Beijing has helped fuel speculation it might use the dam to cut off water in another conflict, according to Sayanangshu Modak, an expert on the India-China water relationship at the University of Arizona.

"The construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project is a matter within the scope of China’s sovereign affairs," Beijing's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding the dam would provide clean energy and prevent flooding.

"China has also conducted necessary communication with downstream countries regarding hydrological information, flood control, and disaster mitigation cooperation related to the Yarlung Zangbo project," the ministry said.

India's foreign and water ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

WILL IT STARVE INDIA OF WATER?

But the impact of the dam on downstream flows has been overstated, in part because the bulk of the water that enters the Brahmaputra is from monsoon rainfall south of the Himalayas, and not from China, said Modak.

He added that China's plans are for a "run of the river" hydropower project, which means the water will flow normally along the usual course of the Brahmaputra.

India itself has proposed two dams on the Siang river, its name for the Yarlung Zangbo. One, an 11.5-gigawatt project in Arunachal Pradesh, will be India's largest if it goes ahead.

Those have been proposed, in part, to assert India's claims on the river and bolster its case should China ever seek to divert the water, Modak added.

"If India can show that it has been using the waters, then China cannot unilaterally divert," he said.

CONTROVERSY IS COMMON

Quarrels over dams and water security are not new. Pakistan has accused India of weaponising shared water supplies in the disputed Kashmir region after New Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates water sharing between the neighbours.

In Egypt, a senior politician was once caught on camera proposing to bomb a controversial Nile river dam planned by Ethiopia during a long-running dispute over the project.

EARTHQUAKE AND EXTREME WEATHER RISKS

The dam will be built in an earthquake zone also prone to landslides, glacial‑lake floods and storms. A spree of dam building in the area sparked concerns from experts about safety following a devastating earthquake in Tibet earlier this year.

A much smaller hydropower project on a nearby tributary has been limited to four‑month construction windows because of engineering challenges in high altitudes and vicious winters.​

 

[Saif]

Chinese hydro-power project won’t affect downstream countries: Envoy

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Monday assured Dhaka that the Chinese hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo river would not affect water flow to downstream countries, including Bangladesh as it is being implemented solely for electricity generation.

en.prothomalo.com

Chinese hydro-power project won’t affect downstream countries: Envoy

UNBDhaka
Published: 21 Jul 2025, 22: 35

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Monday met with Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain at the foreign ministry in Dhaka.UNB

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Monday assured Dhaka that the Chinese hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo river would not affect water flow to downstream countries, including Bangladesh as it is being implemented solely for electricity generation.

“China will not withdraw or use any water from the project and the project will not affect downstream countries’,” the Chinese envoy conveyed the message to Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain during a meeting at the foreign ministry here, said a ministry’s press release.

The assurance came against the backdrop of concerns in the lower riparian countries regarding potential impacts on water flow due to China’s construction of a large hydropower project near the Great Bend of the Yarlung Zangbo river, which becomes the Brahmaputra upon entering India and flows into Bangladesh as the river Jamuna.


China has maintained that the project is aimed at clean energy generation and regional carbon reduction, with no diversion of river water, the envoy said.

During the meeting, both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, with a focus on further strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The Chinese ambassador briefed the adviser on the follow-up actions of the recent visit of Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus to China, which included discussions on expanding collaboration in trade, infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, green energy, disaster management, and tourism.

The envoy also referred to the recent meetings between the Chinese Foreign Minister and Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser in Kuala Lumpur, where both sides discussed avenues to bolster bilateral ties.

Both countries underscored the need to enhance cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, particularly in view of the ongoing celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and China this year.​

 

[Saif]

Brahmaputra upstream dam: Bangladesh puts faith in Beijing’s assurance

Bangladesh has expressed confidence in China’s explanation of its new hydropower project upstream on the Brahmaputra River, with Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain saying there is “no reason for concern” over its potential impact. Speaking at the foreign ministry on Thursday, Touhid

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Brahmaputra upstream dam: Bangladesh puts faith in Beijing’s assurance

bdnews24.com
Published :
Jul 24, 2025 23:49
Updated :
Jul 25, 2025 00:04

Bangladesh has expressed confidence in China’s explanation of its new hydropower project upstream on the Brahmaputra River, with Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain saying there is “no reason for concern” over its potential impact.

Speaking at the foreign ministry on Thursday, Touhid said China had assured Dhaka that the project would not involve any water diversion or irrigation components.

He noted that Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen met him earlier this week and clarified that the plant is not a conventional dam but is based on a multi-stage technology designed to harness water flow without altering its volume.

On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the launch of a new hydropower project on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet.

This river flows into India as the Brahmaputra and eventually runs through Bangladesh.

Beijing has said the facility could become the world’s largest of its kind, with an estimated cost of $170 billion.

The project has reignited longstanding concerns in downstream countries, particularly India and Bangladesh, over water security.

The Chinese envoy met Touhid on Monday to explain Beijing’s stance.

Asked on Thursday if Dhaka was reassured by the response, Touhid said Bangladesh had told China it wants continued exchange of hydrological data and transparency in project planning.

He added that the aim is to ensure that any potential damage to Bangladesh remains minimal or is avoided entirely, adding that India too has a stake in the issue.

“Our rivers do not originate in our territory. Structures have already been built upstream, and more will follow. We cannot stop them,” the advisor said, when asked if there was concern over China’s construction activity.

“What we can do is try to ensure we are not harmed -- or if we are, the impact remains limited,” he added.

BANGLADESH, INDIA TIES

Asked about Bangladesh’s relations with India, Touhid said Dhaka remains committed to maintaining a “good working relationship based on reciprocity and mutual respect”.

“No one from our government has ever said we don’t want good relations with India,” he added.

His comments followed India’s move to send a medical team to assist victims of a Bangladesh Air Force training jet crash at Milestone School and College.

The team’s arrival on Wednesday sparked questions over whether relations were warming after recent “signs of strain” during the interim government’s term.

Touhid responded by citing India’s recent gift of mangoes and consistent people-to-people connections, which he described as “positive” signs.

Referring to the medical support, he said India was among the countries that offered help following the incident.

“We gathered requirements from the burn institute and conveyed them. Based on that, the team arrived,” he added.

“This is part of people-to-people contact, and that’s always a good thing. I see it as positive.”

Asked if the interim administration had brought any shift in foreign policy, Touhid said: “We are trying to maintain good relations with everyone.

“We’re not doing anything that might damage relations with anyone."

He added, “We’re constantly working to keep those relationships normal and balanced -- without becoming overly dependent on any single country.”

Reinforcing his stance on India, Touhid said: “Our goal is to maintain good relations with India, but always on the basis of mutual respect and dignity.”​