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.
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