CHINA’S STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE YARLUNG TSANGPO (BRAHMAPUTRA): ANALYZING ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH ASIAN HYDRO-POLITICS AND PAKISTAN’S WATER SECURITY

Abstract

This study investigates the strategic infrastructural developments undertaken by China on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River and critically analyzes their implications for South Asian hydro-politics, with a particular focus on Pakistan’s emerging water security concerns. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in secondary data sources including expert interviews, policy reports, media content, and academic literature the study employs theoretical lenses such as hydro-hegemony, realism, and environmental security. The research reveals that China’s unilateral dam-building practices are not only reshaping regional ecological systems but also recalibrating geopolitical dynamics, especially with downstream nations such as India and Bangladesh. While these countries directly experience the ecological and political consequences of upstream interventions, Pakistan though geographically disconnected from the Brahmaputra is indirectly vulnerable due to shared Himalayan climate systems, glacial dynamics, and strategic water interdependence with China. The study concludes that South Asia lacks an effective multilateral governance mechanism for managing trans boundary rivers, which increases the risk of water-related conflict. The research recommends enhanced regional water diplomacy, bilateral engagement between Pakistan and China, and the establishment of cooperative data-sharing mechanisms to ensure equitable and sustainable management of shared water resources. 

Keywords: China, Yarlung Tsangpo, Brahmaputra River, hydro-politics, water security, South Asia, Pakistan, transboundary rivers, hydro-hegemony, environmental security, regional diplomacy.