Spreadsheet of Major Dams in China

Xiaowan Dam on the Lancang River
Xiaowan Dam on the Lancang River

This excel spreadsheet of major dams on the Nu, LancangYangtze, and Yarlung Tsangpo mainstream is based on information collected from Heng Duan Shan Society's online dams database. Sources of information include the government's published 2003 Review of the Achievements of Hydropower Resources of the People's Republic of China  《中华人民共和国水力资源复查成果(2003年)》, published research, field visits, and media reporting. It is updated monthly, includes a glossary of terms, and links for further reading. 

As of 13 Nov. 2014:

  • The Nu River has 27 dams. 4 are planned, 14 have undergone site preparation, and 2 are already completed,8 has been cancelled.
  • The Lancang (Upper Mekong) River has 30 dams.  9 are planned, 5 have undergone site preparation, 5 are under construction, 7 are already completed, and 2 have been cancelled.
  • The Yangtze Watershed (including the Jinsha, Yalong, Min and Dadu tributaries) has 115 dams. 40 are planned, 11 is under site preparation, 22 are under construction, 31 are already completed, and the status of 11 is unknown.
  • The Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River has 11 dams.  2 are still in the proposal stage, 7 have undergone site preparation, and 2 is under construction.

Please be aware that not all entries in this spreadsheet may be up to date. We cannot vouch for the accuracy of all the data. While some projects on the list may not go forward, others may be missing. We welcome any corrections and additions you may have.

Special thanks to Tiancheng Deng and Sabine Johnson-Reiser for their expert assistance in producing this spreadsheet.