By building the world’s biggest dam, China hopes to control more than just its water supply – The Conversation

 

Report on the Motuo Hydropower Project and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Project Overview

Construction has commenced on the Motuo hydropower project, located on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river on the Tibetan plateau. This initiative represents a significant expansion of China’s national infrastructure program.

• Scale and Capacity: The project will feature five cascade hydropower stations. Upon completion, it is projected to be the world’s largest hydroelectric power source, with a capacity estimated to be four times that of the Three Gorges Dam.
• Energy Output: The facility is expected to generate approximately 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This output is intended to support local energy needs and reinforce China’s manufacturing capabilities through the provision of low-cost electricity.

2.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Motuo project intersects with several key Sustainable Development Goals, presenting both opportunities and significant challenges.

2.1 Positive Contributions to SDGs

1. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): The dam’s primary objective is to generate a vast amount of hydroelectric power, contributing directly to the goal of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy.
2. SDG 13 (Climate Action): As a source of renewable energy, the project aligns with efforts to combat climate change by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions.
3. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The project is a testament to China’s capacity for building resilient, large-scale infrastructure and represents a major technological and engineering undertaking.
4. SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The provision of cheap, stable electricity is a critical enabler for sustained economic growth, particularly for China’s industrial and manufacturing sectors.

2.2 Challenges and Conflicts with SDGs

1. SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The dam’s location upstream of the Brahmaputra river poses a direct threat to water security for downstream nations, including India and Bangladesh. Control over water flow could impact water availability and sanitation for millions, conflicting with the goal of ensuring sustainable water management for all.
2. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The project introduces a significant geopolitical tool that could be used to exert pressure on neighboring countries. This potential to restrict water supplies undermines regional stability and works against the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies. The lack of transboundary agreements on the project’s management is a key concern.
3. SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The unilateral development of such a critical transboundary water resource, despite concerns from neighboring states, challenges the principle of global partnership for sustainable development.
4. SDG 15 (Life on Land): Large-scale dam construction in a sensitive ecological region like the Tibetan plateau inevitably leads to significant impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, biodiversity, and land use, which must be managed to avoid contravening this goal.

3.0 Geopolitical and Regional Implications

The strategic location of the Motuo dam creates considerable geopolitical leverage for China in its relations with India and Bangladesh.

• Water Control: The ability to regulate or restrict the flow of the Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra river system gives Beijing a powerful instrument of influence over its neighbors’ water supplies.
• Regional Tensions: The project exacerbates existing Sino-Indian tensions, particularly concerning the disputed Arunachal Pradesh region, which China refers to as Zangnan. The dam’s presence adds a critical water dimension to a complex territorial dispute.
• Historical Precedent: The potential for water to be used as a political lever has been demonstrated in other regional contexts, such as the impact of upstream dams on the Mekong river delta and disputes between India and Pakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty.

4.0 Conclusion

The Motuo hydropower project is a multifaceted development that embodies China’s ambitions in infrastructure, energy self-sufficiency, and regional influence. While it makes significant contributions towards SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), it simultaneously presents profound challenges to achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) on a regional scale. The project’s progression highlights the critical need for robust transboundary water management agreements and international cooperation to mitigate geopolitical risks and ensure that the pursuit of national development goals does not undermine the sustainable development of neighboring states.

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 Motuo hydropower project touches upon several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to its wide-ranging implications for energy, water management, infrastructure, international relations, and disaster risk reduction.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – The core of the article revolves around the control and management of a major transboundary river system, directly impacting water availability for downstream nations.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – The primary purpose of the dam is to generate massive amounts of hydroelectric power, which is a form of renewable energy.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – The project is described as a “vast infrastructure programme” and an example of China’s expertise in building large-scale projects.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The article references the historical context of controlling rivers to prevent devastating floods, which relates to making human settlements safer from water-related disasters.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The dam is presented as a major point of geopolitical tension and a tool for exerting influence, highlighting issues of transboundary governance and potential conflict.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The project is discussed in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which involves infrastructure partnerships, but also in the context of a lack of cooperation with neighboring countries over shared water resources.

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

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets are relevant:

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.
  
  The article directly addresses this target by highlighting the lack of transboundary cooperation. The dam is located on the Yarlung Zangbo river, which becomes the Brahmaputra, an “important source of water for Bangladesh and India.” The fact that both downstream nations have “voiced concerns” and that the dam gives Beijing the potential to “restrict India’s water supply” demonstrates a failure to implement integrated management through cooperation on this shared watercourse.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
  
  The project is explicitly a “hydropower project” and, once completed, will be the “world’s largest source of hydroelectric power.” This represents a significant increase in renewable energy generation capacity, directly contributing to this target from a national perspective.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

• Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being.
  
  The Motuo dam is described as a “mega dam” and an “advertisement of China’s prowess when it comes to large-scale infrastructure projects.” It is a massive piece of transborder infrastructure, given its location on a river that flows into other countries. However, the article raises questions about its sustainability and its impact on regional well-being due to the geopolitical tensions it creates.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters, including water-related disasters.
  
  The article provides historical context for the project, noting that controlling rivers has been a central theme in China due to past catastrophes like the “Yangtse flood of 1441” and the 1931 flood where an “estimated 2 million people died.” The concept of zhishui (controlling the rivers) is framed as a way “to abate natural disaster,” which aligns with the goal of this target.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
  
  The project’s development appears to lack inclusive, participatory decision-making at the transboundary level. The concerns voiced by India and Bangladesh suggest they were not meaningfully included in the planning process for an infrastructure project that has significant potential to affect them, making the decision-making process non-representative of all stakeholders.

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

The article provides both quantitative and qualitative information that can serve as or imply indicators for the identified targets:

Indicators for SDG 6

• Indicator for Target 6.5: The article implies a lack of “operational arrangements for water cooperation” (a key indicator, 6.5.2). The description of the dam as a “formidable geopolitical tool” and the “concerns” from downstream nations indicate that cooperative agreements are not in place for this specific project.

Indicators for SDG 7

• Indicator for Target 7.2: The article provides a direct quantitative measure related to renewable energy capacity. It states the dam “could generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year,” which is a clear metric of its contribution to the energy supply.

Indicators for SDG 9

• Indicator for Target 9.1: The scale of the infrastructure is used as an indicator of development. The article notes it will be “four times larger than China’s previous signature hydropower project, the Three Gorges Dam,” providing a comparative measure of its size and significance.

Indicators for SDG 11

• Indicator for Target 11.5: The article uses historical data on disaster impact as a justification for control measures. The mention that “an estimated 2 million people died when the river flooded in 1931” serves as a baseline indicator of the human cost of water-related disasters that such projects aim to prevent.

Indicators for SDG 16

• Indicator for Target 16.7: The lack of inclusive decision-making is indicated by the geopolitical friction described. The article notes that the dam’s location is “controversial” and has led to “voiced concerns” from India and Bangladesh, serving as a qualitative indicator that the process was not participatory from a regional perspective.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.5: Implement integrated water resources management, including through transboundary cooperation.	Implied lack of operational arrangements for water cooperation, evidenced by “voiced concerns” from downstream countries (India, Bangladesh) and the potential for China to “restrict India’s water supply.”
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.	Quantitative measure of new renewable energy capacity: The dam is projected to “generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year.”
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure.	The scale of the infrastructure project: It is described as the “world’s largest source of hydroelectric power” and “four times larger” than the Three Gorges Dam.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: Significantly reduce the number of deaths and people affected by disasters, including water-related disasters.	Historical data on the human cost of water-related disasters: “an estimated 2 million people died when the river flooded in 1931.”
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.	Qualitative evidence of non-inclusive decision-making at the transboundary level: The project is “controversial” and has generated geopolitical tension and “concerns” from affected neighboring states.

Source: theconversation.com