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China's Belt and Road infrastructure projects could help or hurt oceans and coasts worldwide

Rebecca Ray, Senior Academic Researcher in Global Development Policy, Boston University and Blake Alexander Simmons, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, The Conversation on

Published in News & Features

Different types of infrastructure projects pose varying risks to marine habitats and species. Ports create the most serious threats, including habitat destruction, pollution and the spread of invasive species from ships that pass through.

Bridges, roads, power plants and other facilities also threaten nearby coastal waters. These projects can stress aquatic species and habitats with bright lights, loud noises or vibrations, and discharges of toxic heavy metals from urban runoff. These risks are mostly concentrated in small areas around development sites.

In total, we identified 324 threatened species of fish, marine mammals, marine reptiles, sea birds and sharks and rays that could be affected by Chinese coastal development projects. The size of the risk depends on exposure levels and different species’ vulnerabilities. For example, power lines present low risk to marine habitats – but if they are accompanied by bright lights, they threaten sea birds, which are highly sensitive to light pollution.

Overall, we found that Africa and the Caribbean constitute the greatest risk hot spots. Countries with the largest expanses of territorial waters at risk include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Cameroon, Mozambique and Sri Lanka.

We estimate that risks may encroach upon important seas for at least 55 coastal Indigenous communities around the world, particularly in Western and Central Africa. For example, marine habitats adjacent to several Indigenous communities in Ivory Coast that consume more than 1,000 tons of seafood yearly face relatively high risks from nearby development projects.

Experts widely agree that the Earth is losing species at an alarming rate and that habitat loss and pollution from development are major drivers of this decline. If China is serious about taking a leadership role in conservation efforts, we believe the Belt and Road Initiative is the place to start.

Sustainable development will define the future of society and the environment, but planning models often struggle to address how development on land affects the oceans. The United Nations aims to bridge this gap by changing humans’ relationship with the ocean during what it has designated the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. And we see reason for hope.

Our study shows that many development risks to coastal and marine ecosystems could be tackled at the local level if communities and governments work to prioritize their own development and investment needs and scrutinize how proposed projects will affect the environment. Even seemingly small changes in the siting of ports, coastal highways and other projects can protect ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

 

China is starting to address some of these concerns. In 2021, its Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued joint guidance urging Chinese investors and lenders to take a “whole lifecycle” approach to project management, beginning with early considerations such as where to site a project.

In 2022, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission instructed lenders to develop complaint mechanisms for addressing local environmental concerns and minimizing environmental risks. An important test will come in the next few years, as the World Trade Organization will begin negotiating specific rules to curb overfishing. If China shows leadership on this issue through transparency and knowledge sharing, it can limit environmental and economic damage from the development of future ports in countries like Mauritania.

As COP15 spotlights global biodiversity, we believe it is important to note that even the world’s largest bilateral creditor needs the cooperation of local governments in order to get projects approved and built. In our view, transparency and public participation can help make global investment both green and blue.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Blake Alexander Simmons, Colorado State University and Rebecca Ray, Boston University. News from experts, from an independent nonprofit. Try our free newsletters.

Read more:
China is financing infrastructure projects around the world – many could harm nature and Indigenous communities

Protecting mangroves can prevent billions of dollars in global flooding damage every year

Rebecca Ray received funding for this work from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Climate and Land Use Alliance, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Blake Alexander Simmons does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.


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