Chinese researchers have found that the Yarlung Tsangpo River – soon to host the largest mega dam in the world – may face increased run-off and flood risks over this century.
Using tree-ring width chronologies in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the team reconstructed the river’s run-off history from 1325 to 2020.
Along with climate data, this was used to create a model that projected river run-off would increase under future climate scenarios, along with a possible increase in high-run-off events such as floods.
“These results provide a long-term perspective on hydroclimatic variability in the Yarlung Tsangpo River and a scientific basis for assessing future water-resource risks,” the team said in a paper published in the Chinese-language journal China Science Bulletin on October 8.