China’s desire to obtain power within the energy sector is draining the environment and causing natural disasters such as earthquakes. Although these projects are aimed at increasing energy independence or reducing reliance on fossil fuels, China has gone too far, and this whole initiative is slowly damaging nature and causing conflicts within the communities of its surroundings.
After a protracted period of Chinese shutdown and information blockade, Tibet has just returned to the media’s attention due to an earthquake. According to Chinese state media, at least 126 people were killed and 188 others were injured. About 45,000 individuals were displaced by the accident, and many more are still unaccounted for.
Water dams cause the Earth to feel pressure and cause natural disasters
The construction of large dams requires the installation of billions of tonnes of water, which then pressurises the Earth’s crust and triggers earthquakes. The region may become much more susceptible to devastation if these earthquakes become stronger and more regular, and it will weaken the Earth’s crust, which is something that we cannot tolerate if we are aiming at promoting a good and healthy environment.
Experts attribute the trembling ground beneath Tibet to China’s mega-dams
Southwest Tibet was rocked by a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake and a string of aftershocks on the morning of January 7, 2025. About 270 kilometres from the Tibetan capital Lhasa, in Dingri County, Shigatse prefecture, it was at its epicentre. The region and its surrounding areas were ravaged by the earthquakes, which also cost many lives. The intensity was so great that it caused tremors across Bhutan, India, and Nepal.
Why are there suddenly so many earthquakes in Tibet? The frequency of earthquakes has never been so high for Tibetans. According to a writer at Japan Forward, even the ancient Tibetan folklore and folktales hardly ever mention earthquakes, and his parents never mentioned ever having experienced one. Why has the frequency of collisions between the Indian and Eurasian plates increased in recent years? We all need to think about this crucial subject.
The recent earthquakes raised concern among researchers and scientists as to why they are frequent; they observed an unsettling trend. Researchers express that this is not a coincidence because tectonic movements can be triggered by the storage and discharge of water in large reservoirs. Some rivers, home to China’s largest hydropower projects, have been part of the discussions to try to figure out the problem surrounding this situation.
Risks and problems associated with this earthquake situation because of China
The risk of spillover impact is even more worrisome. India and Tibet share important water supplies, and if one of these enormous dams were damaged by an earthquake, it may cause major floods and water shortages in areas that rely on these rivers. These hydroelectric projects have already increased geopolitical tensions between China and India, and a significant earthquake might make matters worse.
It is said that China’s flurry of dam construction on the Tibetan plateau satisfies the mainland’s thirst for hydropower and water shortage. This is evident from Xi Jinping’s strategy of using Tibet as a construction site for the “West-East Electricity Transmission Project.” But it puts China and other nearby nations such as India, Nepal, and Bhutan at constant risk of earthquakes, flooding, and severe environmental harm.
The aforementioned cautions show that China’s extensive dam construction is not solely a Tibetan issue. For India, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Mekong nations, they are a ticking time bomb. To prevent China from damming the Tibetan rivers and guarantee the unrestricted flow of fresh water, these riparian governments must unite with the Tibetans to secure international backing.