Beyond the Bridge: Warning signs of geologic instability and hydropower dam-induced displacement and disaster in Tibet

5 months ago

The November 11, 2025, collapse of the newly constructed 758-meter-long cantilever Red Flag (Ch: Hongqi) bridge in eastern Tibet’s Drakpar (Baowan) Village, Barkham (Ma’erkang), Ngaba (Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, demonstrates the severe risks associated with massive Chinese infrastructure projects in Tibet. The incident confirms the high potential for future similar disasters triggered by China’s vast and reckless hydropower construction scheme. Real-time monitoring detected slope instability 24 hours prior to the landslide resulting in zero casualties during the bridge collapse. However, the collapse reveals a systemic issue: the approval and construction of major infrastructure on high-risk, geologically unstable sites. China’s overall construction spree is driven by political imperatives and the desire to fully exploit Tibetan resources to fuel China’s expanding energy demands and eventually become an energy exporter.

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