Abstract

Security analysts have often characterised the phenomenon of hydroelectric dam construction in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region as a zero-sum game. Most notably, they perceive China’s dam-building to be part of a calculated strategy aimed at exerting control over this resource at the expense of other riparian countries. This NTS Insight argues that this view is inaccurate. In the case of the transboundary rivers shared by China and South Asia, China’s dam-building is, more than anything else, driven by the need to ensure economic growth, and thus its political and social stability. However, as its dams could affect water flows in neighbouring states, a multilateral forum where all stakeholders in China and South Asia can voice their concerns is needed.