China on Monday reiterated its plan to build the world's biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border, saying the planned project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on downstream countries&mdash;India and Bangladesh. 
The project, estimated to cost around $137 billion, is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently.
Chinese Foreign Ministry's new spokesman Guo Jiakun told a media briefing that the construction of the hydropower project&nbsp;over in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra River) downstream has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on the ecological environment, geology and water resources of the downstream countries.
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On the contrary, it will be conducive to downstream disaster prevention and mitigation and response to climate change to a certain extent, he said, replying to a question that India has expressed its concerns over the dam and the issue figured in the Indian officials talks with the visiting and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
 Sullivan, currently visiting Delhi, held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, broadly reviewing the trajectory of the India-US global strategic partnership in the last four years under the Biden administration.
 Sullivan is on a visit to India two weeks ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the US.
 Last month, China approved plans to build a dam over the Brahmaputra River called Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, close to the Indian border.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-reacts-to-china-creating-so-called-counties-says-lodged-a-solemn-protest-with-the-chinese-side-8588380">India reacts to China creating 'so-called counties', says lodged a 'solemn protest' with Chinese side</a>
 As per the plan, the massive dam will be built at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where the Brahmaputra makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh and then to Bangladesh.
 In its first reaction to the proposed dam on Jan 3, India urged China to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas.
 "We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told media in Delhi.
 "As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory," Jaiswal said.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-approves-worlds-largest-dam-on-brahmaputra-river-raises-concern-for-india-8567906">China approves world's largest dam on Brahmaputra river</a>
"These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report," he said.
"The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas," he added.
On Dec 27, another Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, defended China&rsquo;s plan to build the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, saying the project will not negatively affect lower riparian states and that safety issues have been addressed through decades of studies.
"The project will not negatively affect the lower reaches," she said, referring to the concerns in India and Bangladesh, which are the lower riparian states.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-can-push-strategic-flooding-into-india-with-proposed-brahmaputra-great-bend-dam-report-warns-746396">China can push &lsquo;strategic flooding&rsquo; into India with proposed Brahmaputra Great Bend Dam, report warns</a>
"China will continue to maintain communication with countries in the lower reaches through existing channels and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and relief for the benefit of the people by the river," she said.
She said China's hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River aims to speed up the development of clean energy and respond to climate change and extreme hydrological disasters.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

World| The Brahmaputra dam project, estimated to cost around $137 billion, is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently.

China on Monday reiterated its plan to build the world's biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border, saying the planned project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on downstream countries—India and Bangladesh. The project, estimated to cost around $137 billion, is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently. Chinese Foreign Ministry's new spokesman Guo Jiakun told a media briefing that the construction of the hydropower project over in the Yarlung Tsangpo River (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra River) downstream has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on the ecological environment, geology and water resources of the downstream countries. Also read: Justin Trudeau resigns as Canada Prime Minister, Liberal Party leader citing ‘internal battles’ On the contrary, it will be conducive to downstream disaster prevention and mitigation and response to climate change to a certain extent, he said, replying to a question that India has expressed its concerns over the dam and the issue figured in the Indian officials talks with the visiting and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Sullivan, currently visiting Delhi, held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday, broadly reviewing the trajectory of the India-US global strategic partnership in the last four years under the Biden administration. Sullivan is on a visit to India two weeks ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th president of the US. Last month, China approved plans to build a dam over the Brahmaputra River called Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, close to the Indian border. Also read: India reacts to China creating 'so-called counties', says lodged a 'solemn protest' with Chinese side As per the plan, the massive dam will be built at a huge gorge in the Himalayan reaches where the Brahmaputra makes a huge U-turn to flow into Arunachal Pradesh and then to Bangladesh. In its first reaction to the proposed dam on Jan 3, India urged China to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas. "We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told media in Delhi. "As a lower riparian state with established user rights to the waters of the river, we have consistently expressed, through expert-level as well as diplomatic channels, our views and concerns to the Chinese side over mega projects on rivers in their territory," Jaiswal said. Also read: China approves world's largest dam on Brahmaputra river "These have been reiterated, along with the need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries, following the latest report," he said. "The Chinese side has been urged to ensure that the interests of downstream states of the Brahmaputra are not harmed by activities in upstream areas," he added. On Dec 27, another Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, defended China’s plan to build the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River in Tibet, saying the project will not negatively affect lower riparian states and that safety issues have been addressed through decades of studies. "The project will not negatively affect the lower reaches," she said, referring to the concerns in India and Bangladesh, which are the lower riparian states. Also read: China can push ‘strategic flooding’ into India with proposed Brahmaputra Great Bend Dam, report warns "China will continue to maintain communication with countries in the lower reaches through existing channels and step up cooperation on disaster prevention and relief for the benefit of the people by the river," she said. She said China's hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River aims to speed up the development of clean energy and respond to climate change and extreme hydrological disasters. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

China justifies move to build world’s biggest dam over Brahmaputra, says it won't affect water flow to India

India is considering a plan to build a 10 gigawatts (GW) hydropower project in a remote eastern state, an Indian official said on Tuesday, following reports that China could construct dams on a section of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ahead-of-monsoon-season-china-begins-sharing-hydrological-data-for-brahmaputra-with-india-220218">Brahmaputra</a> river.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-prepares-to-build-dam-on-brahmaputra-river-in-tibet-india-raises-concern-346417">Also Read:&nbsp;China prepares to build dam on Brahmaputra river in Tibet; India raises concern</a>

The river, also known as the Yarlung Tsangbo in China, flows from Tibet into India's Arunachal Pradesh state and down through Assam to Bangladesh. Indian authorities are concerned Chinese projects could trigger flash floods or create water scarcity.

"The need of the hour is to have a big dam in Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate the adverse impact of the Chinese dam projects," T.S. Mehra, a senior official in India's federal water ministry, told Reuters.

"Our proposal is under consideration at the highest level in the government," Mehra said, adding the Indian plan would create a large water storage capacity to offset the impact of Chinese dams on flows.

Diplomatic relations between India and China are at a nadir, with troops locked in a border face-off in the western Himalayas for months.

Some analysts warned that damming the Brahmaputra could potentially develop into another flashpoint, as Beijing's dam building activities moved closer to the Indian border.

"India is facing China's terrestrial aggression in the Himalayas, maritime encroachments on its backyard and, as the latest news is a reminder, even water wars," Brahma Chellaney, a specialist on India-China ties, said in a tweet.

On Monday, Chinese state media reported the country could build up to 60 GW of hydropower capacity on a section of the Brahmaputra, citing a senior executive.

Yan Zhiyong, chairman of state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, speaking at an industry conference, said plans to dam the river were a "historic opportunity".

"Formally, we are telling them (the Chinese) that any project you undertake, should not cause an adverse impact on India. They have given an assurance, but we don't know how long their assurance will last," Mehra said.

Hydro projects on Asia's great rivers have been a growing source of regional tensions in recent years. In Southeast Asia, China has faced accusations a series of dams it has built on the Mekong have worsened drought in downstream countries, which Beijing denies.

India would be concerned if the Chinese built a dam around a so-called "great bend", where the Yarlung curves southward before entering India and where the river gains substantial volume of water, said Sayanangshu Modak, a researcher at the New-Delhi based Observer Research Foundation think-tank.

This region, however, is also geologically unstable, making potential dam construction challenging, he said.

In Bangladesh, Sheikh Rokon, secretary general of environment campaigners Riverine People, said multilateral discussion should be held before China builds any dams.

"China's downstream neighbours have a legitimate cause for concern. Water flow will be disrupted," he said.

India is considering a plan to build a 10 gigawatts (GW) hydropower project in a remote eastern state, an Indian official said on Tuesday, following reports that China could construct dams on a section of the Brahmaputra river.

India is considering a plan to build a 10 gigawatts (GW) hydropower project in a remote eastern state, an Indian official said on Tuesday, following reports that China could construct dams on a section of the Brahmaputra river. Also Read: China prepares to build dam on Brahmaputra river in Tibet; India raises concern The river, also known as the Yarlung Tsangbo in China, flows from Tibet into India's Arunachal Pradesh state and down through Assam to Bangladesh. Indian authorities are concerned Chinese projects could trigger flash floods or create water scarcity. "The need of the hour is to have a big dam in Arunachal Pradesh to mitigate the adverse impact of the Chinese dam projects," T.S. Mehra, a senior official in India's federal water ministry, told Reuters. "Our proposal is under consideration at the highest level in the government," Mehra said, adding the Indian plan would create a large water storage capacity to offset the impact of Chinese dams on flows. Diplomatic relations between India and China are at a nadir, with troops locked in a border face-off in the western Himalayas for months. Some analysts warned that damming the Brahmaputra could potentially develop into another flashpoint, as Beijing's dam building activities moved closer to the Indian border. "India is facing China's terrestrial aggression in the Himalayas, maritime encroachments on its backyard and, as the latest news is a reminder, even water wars," Brahma Chellaney, a specialist on India-China ties, said in a tweet. On Monday, Chinese state media reported the country could build up to 60 GW of hydropower capacity on a section of the Brahmaputra, citing a senior executive. Yan Zhiyong, chairman of state-owned Power Construction Corporation of China, speaking at an industry conference, said plans to dam the river were a "historic opportunity". "Formally, we are telling them (the Chinese) that any project you undertake, should not cause an adverse impact on India. They have given an assurance, but we don't know how long their assurance will last," Mehra said. Hydro projects on Asia's great rivers have been a growing source of regional tensions in recent years. In Southeast Asia, China has faced accusations a series of dams it has built on the Mekong have worsened drought in downstream countries, which Beijing denies. India would be concerned if the Chinese built a dam around a so-called "great bend", where the Yarlung curves southward before entering India and where the river gains substantial volume of water, said Sayanangshu Modak, a researcher at the New-Delhi based Observer Research Foundation think-tank. This region, however, is also geologically unstable, making potential dam construction challenging, he said. In Bangladesh, Sheikh Rokon, secretary general of environment campaigners Riverine People, said multilateral discussion should be held before China builds any dams. "China's downstream neighbours have a legitimate cause for concern. Water flow will be disrupted," he said.

India plans dam on Brahmaputra to offset Chinese construction upstream

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China justifies move to build world’s biggest dam over Brahmaputra, says it won't affect water flow to India

India plans dam on Brahmaputra to offset Chinese construction upstream