China’s plans for hydropower development in vulnerable regions has alarmed neighboring India and Bangladesh, who fear impacts on tens of millions of people downstream and water supplies.

Reuters with additional input and editing by Jim Pollard

Summary

Authorities in Tibet have detected cracks in five of more than a dozen dams inspected after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake on January 7. Three of the affected dams have been emptied, and one dam in Tingri county had tilted walls, necessitating the evacuation of 1,500 people.

The earthquake, which killed at least 126 people and injured hundreds, underscores the risks of extensive hydropower projects in seismically active regions. Past earthquakes, like Nepal’s 2015 quake, have also damaged dams.

The January 7 quake was the fifth-deadliest in China since 2008, destroying thousands of homes and religious structures. The region, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide, is particularly vulnerable to such disasters.

China’s plan to build the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River has alarmed neighboring India and Bangladesh, who fear it could affect tens of millions of people downstream. India has expressed concerns to China about the potential impact on downstream water supplies. Tibetan activists claim China’s dams threaten the water supply, livelihoods, and health of up to 1.8 billion people across Asia.

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