China has approved the construction of what it says will be the world's largest hydropower dam. BBC News says the announcement has stoked concerns about displacement of communities in Tibet, as well as the potential environmental impacts downstream in India and Bangladesh.

The dam, which will be located in the lower part of the Yarlung Tsangpo river, could generate three times more energy than the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest hydropower plant, in China.

BBC News reports that Chinese state media has described the development as "a safe project that prioritizes ecological protection," saying it will boost local prosperity and contribute to Beijing's climate neutrality goals.

But human rights groups and experts have raised concerns about the development's knock-on effects. China has built several dams in Tibetan areas — a contentious subject in a region tightly controlled by Beijing ever since it was annexed in the 1950s. 

Earlier in 2024, the Chinese government rounded up hundreds of Tibetans who had been protesting against another hydropower dam. It ended in arrests and beatings, with some people seriously injured, the BBC learned through sources and verified footage.

China has a questionable record when it comes to building and maintaining giant dams. In August 1975, the Banqiao Dam and 61 others throughout Henan, China collapsed following the landfall of Typhoon Nina. The dam collapse created the third-deadliest flood in history, with estimates of the death toll ranging from 26,000 to 240,000. The flood also caused the collapse of 5 million to 6.8 million houses.

And, while the Three Gorges Dam was an engineering feat, Brittanica.com says it has also been fraught with controversy. Construction of the dam caused the displacement of at least 1.3 million people, and the destruction of natural features and countless rare architectural and archaeological sites.