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Research Paper | Political Science | Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026 | Pages: 1655 - 1660 | India
Satellites, Sensors, and Security: Monitoring China's Himalayan Dams and India's Hydro-Strategic Preparedness
Abstract: China's rapid development of hydropower projects and large-scale water diversion infrastructure in the Himalayan region has become a source of mounting concern for India. These initiatives, particularly on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river system, raise questions about ecological stability, disaster vulnerability, and the broader strategic balance between upstream and downstream states. As China consolidates control over transboundary river flows, the implications for India's water security and regional stability are profound. In this context, monitoring capabilities have emerged as a vital component of hydro-strategic preparedness. This article explores the role of advanced technologies viz., satellite imagery, remote sensing platforms, hydrological sensors, and big data analytics, in tracking and evaluating China's dam-building activities. It highlights how technological surveillance reduces information asymmetry, strengthens early warning systems, and supports disaster management, while also contributing to deterrence in a non-kinetic security environment. The study further assesses India's current monitoring infrastructure, identifying institutional limitations and technical gaps that constrain effective response. By examining opportunities for integrating emerging space-based and sensor-driven systems into a comprehensive national security framework, the article argues that while monitoring technologies cannot fully offset upstream power asymmetry, they significantly enhance India's ability to anticipate risks, shape diplomatic negotiations, and respond to slow-onset hydro-strategic challenges. Ultimately, the research underscores the importance of technological preparedness as a means of safeguarding ecological integrity and national security in an increasingly contested Himalayan river basin.
Keywords: Hydro-hegemony, satellite surveillance, transboundary rivers, Brahmaputra, environmental security, non-kinetic threats
How to Cite?: Yogesh Nair, "Satellites, Sensors, and Security: Monitoring China's Himalayan Dams and India's Hydro-Strategic Preparedness", Volume 15 Issue 4, April 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1655-1660, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26426222938, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26426222938