Why is China building the world’s biggest dam?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 28 January 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
China has approved the construction of what will become the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet. Located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, it could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam – also built by China - and currently the worlds’ biggest. This Inquiry examines how important hydropower is for China’s economy, whether it will meet its climate goals and whether this new dam is a “safe project that prioritises ecological protection” as China claims. We look at how it’ll be built, and why some in neighbouring countries have concerns.
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier Producer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie Morgan Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey Technical producer: Craig Boardman Editor: Tara McDermott
Contributors: Brian Eyler, Director of the Energy, Water and Sustainability Programme at the Stimson Center, Washington DC Neeraj Singh Manhas, special advisor for South Asia at the Parley Policy Initiative, South Korea & Subject Matter Expert at the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies, HQ IDS, Ministry of Defence, Government of India Prof Mark Zeitoun, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub and professor of Water Diplomacy at the Geneva Graduate Institute, Switzerland Prof Cecilia Tortajada, Social and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Glasgow, Adjunct senior research fellow Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore
Image credit: China News Service via Getty Images
Transcript
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| 0:38.0 | sounds. Welcome to the inquiry. I'm Charmaine Kosier. Each week, one question, four expert |
| 0:44.4 | witnesses and an answer. December 2024. When it comes to dams, China has built more than any other country. Now it officially |
| 0:59.5 | approves plans to build what will be the most ambitious and biggest one in the world. It will |
| 1:05.3 | join its existing stock of hydropower dams but use water as a source of renewable energy. It will also accelerate |
| 1:13.8 | China's ongoing efforts to move away from using fossil fuels like coal to produce electricity. |
| 1:20.2 | The complex engineering project is many years away from completion. However, its size and location is |
| 1:27.3 | already generating unease. |
| 1:30.5 | So this week we're asking, why is China building the world's biggest dam? |
| 1:37.6 | Part 1, Super Dam. |
| 1:51.0 | So I'm really into Dan's and their designs. I study dams built all over the world, particularly those in China, say on upstream rivers that flow into other parts of the world. I'm not |
| 1:56.0 | necessarily opposed to this Dan. In fact, I think it's a really interesting design. |
| 2:06.2 | Brian Eiler is director of the Energy, Water and Sustainability Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, D.C. He spent more than 15 years living and working in China. |
| 2:14.2 | You know, very few people on this planet had ever been to this dam site. |
| 2:18.5 | It is that remote. |
| 2:20.1 | And all of a sudden, the bulldozers and the big trucks are going to be there with thousands of workers around, |
... |
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