Report on the Yarlung-Tsangpo Hydroelectric Project and its Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

Project Overview and Alignment with SDG 7 & SDG 13

The People’s Republic of China has initiated the development of a major hydroelectric power system on the Yarlung-Tsangpo River in Tibet. This project, situated in the world’s longest and deepest canyon, is poised to become the largest of its kind globally. The initiative’s primary objective is to generate substantial energy resources for transmission to China’s eastern population centers, directly addressing key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Project Specifications

• Location: The great bend of the Yarlung-Tsangpo River, between the Himalayan peaks of Namcha Barwa and Gyala Peri.
• Components: A system of five power stations.
• Projected Output: 300 million megawatts of electricity annually, more than three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam.
• Construction: Managed by the state-created China Yiang Group, with initial power generation scheduled for 2030. Technical challenges include the excavation of diversion tunnels beneath Namcha Barwa.

Contribution to Clean Energy and Climate Action

The project is a cornerstone of China’s national strategy to mitigate climate change and reduce its carbon footprint, aligning with two critical SDGs:

1. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): By generating a vast amount of renewable hydroelectric power, the project aims to significantly increase the share of clean energy in the national grid, supporting Target 7.2.
2. SDG 13 (Climate Action): The power generated is intended to replace coal-burning power plants, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. This directly contributes to Target 13.2 by integrating climate change mitigation measures into national energy policy and helping to combat the rapid recession of Himalayan glaciers, which feed China’s major rivers.

Socio-Environmental Impacts and Conflicts with Sustainable Development Goals

Despite its contributions to clean energy targets, the project presents significant trade-offs that conflict with other fundamental SDGs, particularly those concerning environmental protection, social equity, and community welfare.

Ecological Disruption and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

The construction is taking place within a designated “National Reservation,” an area established to protect unique natural features. The project’s impact poses a direct threat to this protected status and conflicts with SDG 15.

• Habitat Destruction: The damming will inundate vast areas, destroying semi-tropical forests and unique micro-climates within the gorge.
• Ecosystem Disruption: The project will alter river flows and disrupt fragile ecosystems, threatening biodiversity and natural features such as the Tsangpo Badong Falls.
• Conflict with SDG 15: These actions are in direct opposition to Target 15.1, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems, and Target 15.5, which urges action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats.

Community Displacement and Conflicts with SDG 1, SDG 10, and SDG 11

The project necessitates the displacement of local Tibetan villages, raising serious concerns about social equity and sustainable communities.

• Forced Relocation: Local populations will be uprooted, echoing the displacement of 1.4 million people for the Three Gorges Dam.
• Suppression of Dissent: Protests by villagers against the dam project have reportedly been suppressed, indicating a lack of inclusive and participatory decision-making.
• Conflict with Multiple SDGs: This displacement undermines several goals:
  • SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The project risks impoverishing local communities and exacerbating inequalities by prioritizing distant urban centers over the livelihoods of the local Tibetan population.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The project fails to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the affected communities, conflicting with Target 11.4.

Transboundary Implications and Governance Challenges

The Yarlung-Tsangpo is a transboundary river, becoming the Brahmaputra upon entering India. The project’s unilateral development raises significant geopolitical and water security issues, challenging international cooperation goals.

Water Security and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation)

Downstream nations, including India and Bangladesh, have expressed alarm over the potential impacts on water availability.

• Control of Water Flow: The dams will grant China control over the river’s flow, with the potential to divert streams or alter water release schedules.
• Existential Threat: Downstream officials have warned of the risk of engineered droughts or floods, terming it a potential “water bomb” that threatens livelihoods and ecosystems in two Indian provinces and Bangladesh.
• Conflict with SDG 6: The lack of a cooperative agreement for managing the shared water resource is a failure to advance Target 6.5, which calls for the implementation of integrated water resources management through transboundary cooperation.

Geopolitical Tensions and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

The project is a source of diplomatic friction and highlights a lack of transparent and inclusive governance.

• Lack of Consultation: The project proceeds without a robust framework for consulting downstream stakeholders, undermining principles of peaceful international relations.
• Governance Deficit: The suppression of internal dissent and the disregard for international concerns point to a governance model that conflicts with the principles of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), which advocates for responsive, inclusive, and representative decision-making at all levels (Target 16.7).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on China’s hydroelectric power project in Tibet touches upon several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting the complex trade-offs between development, environmental protection, and human rights. The following SDGs are directly addressed or connected:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
     
     The article’s central theme is the construction of “the world’s largest hydroelectric power system,” which is a form of renewable energy. The project’s goal to “generate 300 million megawatts of electricity a year” is a direct effort to substantially increase China’s renewable energy output.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
     
     The project is explicitly framed as a key component of China’s national strategy to combat climate change. The article states it is a “linchpin in China’s efforts to control and reduce its emissions” and helps “meet carbon reduction targets,” demonstrating the integration of climate action into national infrastructure planning.

3. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.5: By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate.
     
     This target is relevant due to the project’s impact on a transboundary river (Yarlung-Tsangpo/Brahmaputra). The article highlights a lack of cooperation, noting that India is concerned about the “weaponizing of waters” and potential disruptions like the river flow being dried up or causing floods downstream. This points to the challenges in achieving integrated management for shared water resources.

4. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.
     
     The project has a direct negative impact on this target. The article states that the project “will displace villages.” It draws a parallel to the Three Gorges Dam, where “A total of 1.4 million people were uprooted,” highlighting the significant threat to housing and community stability for the local population.

5. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services…
     
     The project is located in a highly sensitive and unique ecosystem. The article mentions it is in the “world’s deepest and longest canyon” and that the area is officially a “‘National Reservation’, a nature sanctuary.” However, it explicitly states that “power needs have trumped conservation” and that “ecosystems will be disrupted,” indicating a failure to meet this conservation target.

6. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms…
     
     The article points to the suppression of fundamental freedoms in relation to the dam projects. It notes that “Soon-to-be displaced villagers have mounted anti-dam protests, which have been crushed.” It further adds that President Xi “brooks no dissent” and “had hundreds arrested when protests broke out at the Gangtuo Dam,” showing a clear disregard for the freedom of expression and assembly.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For SDG 7 (Target 7.2):

   • Indicator 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.
     
     The article provides a direct quantitative measure for this indicator by stating the project will “generate 300 million megawatts of electricity a year,” which is “more than triple the 88 million megawatt output of Three Gorges Dam.” This data can be used to calculate the increased share of renewable energy.

2. For SDG 13 (Target 13.2):

   • Implied Indicator: Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector.
     
     The article implies this indicator by stating that a benefit of the project is the “closure of more coal-burning power plants, and Chinese cities from cleaner air.” This directly links the hydroelectric project to a reduction in fossil fuel consumption and associated emissions.

3. For SDG 6 (Target 6.5):

   • Indicator 6.5.2: Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation.
     
     The article implies a value of zero for this indicator. The concerns from India (“promises to ‘monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests’”) and the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, who called the project an “existential threat,” suggest the absence of a functional, cooperative agreement between China and India over the river basin.

4. For SDG 11 (Target 11.1):

   • Implied Indicator: Number of people displaced by development projects.
     
     While not giving a precise number for the new project, the article states it “will displace villages” and provides a stark reference point: “1.4 million people were uprooted” by the Three Gorges Dam. This suggests a measurable, and likely large, number of people will be displaced.

5. For SDG 15 (Target 15.1):

   • Implied Indicator: Degradation or loss of protected areas.
     
     The article indicates a negative trend for this measure. The project is being built within a “‘National Reservation’, a nature sanctuary,” and the article notes that “power needs have trumped conservation.” This implies the degradation and loss of a protected ecosystem.

6. For SDG 16 (Target 16.10):

   • Implied Indicator: Number of documented cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists, and human rights advocates.
     
     The article provides evidence for this indicator by stating that anti-dam protests “have been crushed” and that President Xi “had hundreds arrested when protests broke out at the Gangtuo Dam.” This points to arbitrary detention of those exercising their fundamental freedoms.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nwprogressive.org