China sometimes threatens to block the water of the Brahmaputra River. However, to understand the real impact of this threat, it is important to analyze our data, geography, hydrology and international law in depth.
🔹 Geography of the Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra River originates from the Angsi Glacier in Tibet, China and flows eastwards. It flows through Siang in Arunachal Pradesh, India and Brahmaputra in Assam before crossing Bangladesh. The total length of the river is 2,896 km, which crosses three countries: China, India and Bangladesh.
🔹 Percentage distribution of water sources
The Brahmaputra River’s water sources include China, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. 22% to 30% of the water comes from China, 45% to 50% from India, 8% to 12% from Bhutan’s tributaries, and 8% to 10% from Bangladesh. India’s monsoon-dependent tributaries and water from Bhutan are the main sources of water production for the river.
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🔹 How real is China’s threat?
China has built some small dams in Tibet since 2009, including the “Zhangmu Hydroelectric Project”, but these projects are run-of-the-river projects, which do not store or impound water. India receives an average of 2200-2500 mm of rainfall, which provides more than 50% of the river’s flow. Bhutan also receives a significant amount of water, which plays an important role in the flow of the river.
🔹 International River Law and China’s Role
According to the 1997 United Nations International River Law, no upstream country can unilaterally block the flow of a river. Even if China does not sign this law, it will be difficult to take action against it due to international pressure.
🔹 China’s threat: not panic, but a political pressure tactic
China’s threat to block water has been made in the past to achieve some political objectives. Although, if large dams are built in the future, the flow of tributaries from India and Bhutan will help to control the situation. The impact on Bangladesh will not be as big, as the majority of the water comes from India.
Therefore, there is no need to panic due to the threat from China.
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The percentage of the Brahmaputra river flow depends on different seasonal rainfall, glacier melt, geography and the location of the tributaries, so this percentage is not always the same.
Disclaimer: This post is based on verified hydrological studies and cross-referenced data from sources like CWC India, World Bank, International Water Law Reports, and regional basin reports. It is meant for educational awareness only.
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