Myitsone Dam

The Myitsone Dam is a large-scale hydroelectric dam project located in northern Myanmar (Burma) at the confluence of the Mali and N’Mai rivers, which form the headwaters of the Irrawaddy River—Myanmar’s most important waterway. The dam has been one of the most controversial infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia, symbolising the intersection of environmental, political, and social tensions between Myanmar and China. Its suspension in 2011 marked a turning point in Myanmar’s domestic politics and foreign relations.

Geographic and Technical Overview

The proposed Myitsone Dam site lies in Kachin State, about 42 kilometres north of Myitkyina, the state capital. Situated at the origin of the Irrawaddy River, the dam was designed to be a hydroelectric power station with a total planned capacity of 6,000 megawatts (MW), which would have made it one of the largest dams in the region.
The project was part of a broader plan known as the Irrawaddy Myitsone Hydropower Project, developed under a 2006 bilateral agreement between the China Power Investment Corporation (CPI)—now known as State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC)—and Myanmar’s Ministry of Electric Power. The project was expected to involve seven cascade dams along the Irrawaddy River system, with Myitsone as the principal and largest structure.
Technical specifications included:

• Height: approximately 152 metres.
• Reservoir area: around 766 square kilometres.
• Estimated cost: over US$3.6 billion.
• Electricity allocation: around 90% of generated power was planned for export to China’s Yunnan Province, with the remainder supplied domestically.

Historical and Political Context

The Myitsone Dam project was initiated during the period of military rule in Myanmar, when the country was heavily reliant on Chinese investment due to Western sanctions. The agreement, signed in 2006, was facilitated by close ties between the Myanmar military government and Chinese state-owned enterprises seeking access to natural resources and hydropower potential.
However, the dam quickly became a symbol of national and regional discontent. Critics argued that the project prioritised Chinese economic interests over local welfare and environmental sustainability. Growing opposition from civil society, environmental activists, and ethnic Kachin groups eventually led to widespread protests across the country.
In September 2011, shortly after assuming office, President Thein Sein announced the suspension of the project, citing public concern and the need to protect the Irrawaddy River, considered a national lifeline. This decision was viewed as an unprecedented act of political independence from Chinese influence and was widely praised both domestically and internationally.

Environmental Impacts

Environmental assessments conducted by local and international experts highlighted severe potential ecological consequences of the dam. The Myitsone area lies within a seismically active zone, raising safety concerns regarding potential dam failure. Moreover, the massive reservoir would have flooded vast tracts of forest and agricultural land, displacing approximately 10,000–15,000 people, mostly from indigenous Kachin communities.
Key predicted environmental impacts included:

• Loss of biodiversity due to submergence of tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
• Disruption of the Irrawaddy River’s natural flow, affecting sediment transport and downstream agriculture.
• Threats to fisheries, which sustain millions of people along the river.
• Alteration of local climate patterns and increased risk of landslides and erosion.

Environmental groups such as the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) and international NGOs like International Rivers warned that the dam’s impacts would extend far beyond Kachin State, affecting the entire Irrawaddy Basin and delta region, which supports Myanmar’s rice cultivation.

Social and Cultural Implications

The Myitsone region holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Kachin people, who regard the confluence of the Mali and N’Mai rivers as a sacred site—the birthplace of their ethnic heritage and identity. The proposed inundation of villages, temples, and ancestral lands was perceived as an assault on local traditions and religious beliefs.
The displacement of communities due to dam construction led to the loss of farmland and livelihoods, as well as social dislocation. Many resettled families reported inadequate compensation and poor living conditions in relocation areas. The project thus became a focal point for debates about indigenous rights, land ownership, and environmental justice in Myanmar.

Economic and Strategic Considerations

From an economic standpoint, proponents of the dam argued that it would generate significant revenue and modernise Myanmar’s energy sector. However, the project’s design—where most of the electricity was destined for export to China—sparked criticism that it offered limited benefits to Myanmar’s own population, many of whom lacked access to electricity.
Strategically, the dam was also part of China’s broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-related investments in Myanmar, including pipelines, railways, and port facilities linking Yunnan Province to the Indian Ocean through the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC). The suspension of the project strained bilateral relations, though both countries have since sought to maintain economic cooperation in other sectors.

Controversy and Opposition

Opposition to the Myitsone Dam stemmed from a combination of environmental, political, and social concerns. Civil society movements, Buddhist monks, students, and ethnic organisations united in unprecedented protest campaigns, reflecting Myanmar’s growing civic activism during its political reform era.
Critics emphasised:

• Lack of transparency in project agreements.
• Insufficient public consultation with affected communities.
• Overdependence on Chinese financing and contractors.
• The project’s environmental unsustainability in a fragile ecosystem.

The suspension decision in 2011 marked one of the first instances where public opinion directly influenced national policy under Myanmar’s transition toward semi-civilian governance.

Recent Developments and Current Status

Since its suspension, the Myitsone Dam has remained in political limbo. The Chinese government and SPIC have repeatedly urged Myanmar to resume the project or offer compensation, arguing that significant investments had already been made. Successive Myanmar administrations, however, have faced strong domestic opposition to any revival of the dam.
In 2019, the government of Aung San Suu Kyi initiated a review of all Chinese-backed projects under the CMEC framework, but reaffirmed that public sentiment made restarting Myitsone politically untenable. Surveys indicated that more than 80% of Myanmar’s population opposed the dam’s resumption.
Despite this, China continues to advocate for hydropower cooperation, and smaller-scale dam projects have been proposed as potential compromises. The 2021 military coup in Myanmar further complicated the situation, as international scrutiny increased and local instability deepened in Kachin State, where armed conflicts between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and government forces persist.

Global and Regional Significance

The Myitsone Dam controversy exemplifies the complex challenges faced by developing countries balancing energy needs, environmental sustainability, and foreign investment. It has become a case study in transboundary water politics and the governance of large-scale infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive regions.
For China, the issue highlights the risks of overseas investments in politically volatile environments, while for Myanmar, it underscores the importance of public participation and national sovereignty in developmental decision-making. The dam remains a powerful symbol of Myanmar’s struggle to define its future path between environmental preservation and economic development.