China’s mega-dam construction efforts are primarily driven by the demand for energy from tech and AI, according to a researcher.

According to a recent revelation, India is concerned about a proposed mega dam in Tibet by China, which could decrease water flow in a critical river by up to 85% during the dry season. This news is based on information from four sources who have knowledge of the situation and a government analysis reviewed by Reuters. In response, India has accelerated its plans to build its own dam as a measure to counteract the potential effects. FRANCE 24 recently interviewed Rana Mitter, the ST Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, who explained that China’s main motive for constructing these mega-dams is primarily driven by the demand for energy from power-intensive technologies such as AI.

Source: https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/a-propos/20250826-china-s-push-for-mega-dams-driven-by-energy-hungry-tech-ai-researcher-says