Beyond the economic and political ramifications of the initiative, however, are deep concerns about the impact it will have on the environment. Regional experts and analysts have expressed concerns about the effect these mega-projects will have on water resources, air quality and agriculture, among other natural resources. Climate experts say it will lock in fossil fuel infrastructure that will make it difficult if not impossible to meet the targets laid out in the Paris Agreement. And many local environmental activists and community organizers have protested against the development of projects seen to have a detrimental impact on the environmental assets they depend on.
To address these criticisms, Chinese officials recently announced a series of efforts to “green” the BRI through the pursuit of development that Xi had earlier called “green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable.” But that effort, too, has been met with some skepticism.
“While just recognizing the problem is a positive step for China, these initiatives are generally too voluntary to be effective, too duplicative to be adding value, and too opaque to be adequately assessed,” a brief from the Center for Strategic and International Studies published on Nov. 5, 2019, stated.
Belt Watch is EJN's effort to monitor, investigate and report on these issues by tracking projects currently under development and assessing the impacts they’ll have on the environment. It includes a series of stories that investigate one of the world’s biggest and most impactful initiatives. Many were produced by China Dialogue, a bilingual website focused on China and the environment. Others were produced by EJN's other partners including Ekuatorial, Mekong Eye and The Third Pole, often with the support of grants and training from EJN.
