Mabja Zangbo
{{Short description|River in Tibet}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Mabja Zangbo
| native_name =
| name_other = Majia Zangbu, Kongque He, ma jia cang bu{{cite web |title=Mabja Zangbo stream, Tibet Autonomous Region, China |url=https://cn.geoview.info/mabja_zangbo,1280656 |website=cn.geoview.info|access-date=20 January 2023}} Mabza Zhangbo
| nickname = Peacock River{{cite book |last1=Planet |first1=Lonely |last2=Lioy |first2=Stephen |last3=Mayhew |first3=Bradley |last4=Eaves |first4=Megan |title=Lonely Planet Tibet |date=1 May 2019 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-78868-583-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0qVDwAAQBAJ |access-date=20 January 2023 |language=en |chapter=Purang |quote=... Humla Karnali River, known in Tibetan as Mabja Tsangpo (Peacock River)}}
| image = File:Karnali river.JPG
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| subdivision_type1 = Latitude
| subdivision_name1 = 30°14'47"
| subdivision_type2 = Longitude
| subdivision_name2 = 82°10'2"
| subdivision_type3 = Place
| subdivision_name3 = Tibet’s Burang County{{cite web |title=China building a new dam in Tibet on a tributary of the Ganga new satellite imagery revealed China builds new dam in Tibet; Potential to affect downstream river flow |url=https://pipanews.com/china-building-a-new-dam-in-tibet-on-a-tributary-of-the-ganga-new-satellite-imagery-revealed-china-builds-new-dam-in-tibet-potential-to-affect-downstream-river-flow-pipa-news/ |website=pipanews.com |access-date=20 January 2023 |date=20 January 2023}}
| subdivision_type4 = Elevation
| subdivision_name4 = 5726 metres above sea level
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| source1 = near Manasarovar Lake
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Mabja Zangbo or Mabja Tsangpo is a river in Tibet Autonomous Region, China. The upper portion of the Karnali River is called Mabja Zangbo river in China.{{cite web|url=http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/groundwater-its-not-source-its-resource|title=Catchment area map of lakes Manasarovar and Rakshastal|work=International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD)|date=2 August 2015 |access-date=31 January 2023}}{{cite web |title=Ngari |url=http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2010-12/15/content_21549523.htm |website=China.org.cn |access-date=20 January 2023 |location=Beijing |date=15 December 2010}} It further joins River Ghaghara (Karnali) in Nepal and eventually flows into Ganges River (Ganga) in India.{{cite book |editor1-last=Pletcher |editor1-first=Kenneth |title=The Geography of China: Sacred and Historic Places |date=15 August 2010 |publisher=Britannica and The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc |isbn=978-1-61530-134-8 |page=295 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tfVN0Gwx67YC |language=en}} It passes through the tri-junction on Nepal's border with India and China.
{{Location map|China |float = right |width=260 | caption = Mabja Zangbo River in Tibet |position=right|background=white|lat=30.24639|long=82.16722}}
In January 2023, reports emerged with satellite imagery of China constructing a dam since May 2021 at around 16 km north of this tri-junction which lies opposite to the Kalapani territory of Uttarakhand. This is similar to the activities at the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) river near Arunachal Pradesh, meant to be aimed at using water as leverage since China is an upper riparian state.{{cite news |last1=Peri |first1=Dinakar |title=China builds a new dam in Tibet near Indian border |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/china-builds-new-dam-in-tibet-near-indian-border/article66417289.ece |access-date=31 January 2023 |work=The Hindu |date=21 January 2023 |language=en-IN}} China adheres to the Harmon Doctrine and dams near the international border may aid in the geopolitics of claiming the disputed area. It is to be noted that due to its extreme nature, this theory of Absolute Territory Sovereignty is rejected by international customary laws.{{cite news |author1=Neeraj Singh Manhas |title=Why is India-China water diplomacy the need of the hour? |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/defence/why-is-india-china-water-diplomacy-the-need-of-the-hour/2958495/ |access-date=31 January 2023 |work=Financialexpress |date=24 January 2023 |language=en}}