The Great Bend |

Note: The Yarlung Tsangpo, also called Yarlung Zangbo and Yalu Zangbu River and Siang in the downstream Arunachal Pradesh and Dihang in Assam is not Brahmaputra, but a tributary of Brahmaputra.

Brahmaputra is one of the highest and deepest rivers in the world, flowing 1,700 km through Tibet before entering India. It flows east for the majority of its course and then takes a sharp turn down south into India. At this turn, the river drops a whopping 3,000 metres through a gorge before gushing cross-border into Arunachal Pradesh, India. This crucial turning point of the river is called the ‘Great Bend’.
On December 25, 2024, China made the historic decision of approving the construction of the world’s largest hydropower project, known as Medog Hydropower Station at this strategic location. Its location also makes this dam one of the most difficult and dangerous engineering feats in the world. In a remote corner of the Tibetan Plateau, surrounded by towering mountains, China plans to tap into the river’s power, all while facing one of the planet’s harshest environments.
The Medog Hydropower station is set to redefine the scale of renewable energy generation and bolster China’s climate goals by significantly reducing reliance on coal-based power. But its implications pose enormous environmental risks and challenges along with consequences in regional stability and cooperation.

Down to Earth is Science and Environment fortnightly published by the Society for Environmental Communication, New Delhi. We publish news and analysis on issues that deal with sustainable development, which we scan through the eyes of science and environment.