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Letters | Amid climate change fears, Chinese green investment could be a boon to Africa
- Readers discuss how the Belt and Road Initiative could help African nations better prepare for climate change and China’s commitment to socialism and communism
Reading Time:3 minutes
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We have been witnessing some serious climate catastrophes across the world. Unprecedented and massive floods affecting central and northern Europe were followed by record rainfall in Henan, China, and northern India. Climate change is affecting millions of lives across the world.
The consensus in the scientific community is that climate change is anthropogenic – caused primarily by greenhouse gas emissions.
The industrialised world is acting to mitigate greenhouse emissions, although with mixed results. At the same time, it is expected that economic and industrial development in the least developed countries in Asia or Africa could worsen the global climate crisis.
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Yet, the least developed countries are disproportionately affected by climate change. For example, the accelerating desertification and drought in the Sahel region boosted cyclone activity on the East African coast and even increased the frequency of locust infestations in the Horn of Africa, affecting the food security of millions of people.
By increasing investment in infrastructure and financial assistance, China’s Belt and Road Initiative is expected to help African nations better prepare to cope with climate change.
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Belt and Road Initiative explained
Belt and Road Initiative explained
In a chapter in the book Climate Change, Hazards and Adaptation Options, Michael Addaney argues that the “infrastructural development” and “agricultural modernisation”, and the strengthening of “logistical connectivity” and “effective partnerships”, via the Belt and Road Initiative will boost Africa’s capacity to adapt to the global climate crisis.
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