Biodiversity risks and safeguards of China's hydropower financing in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries

Divya Narain; Hoong Chen Teo; Alex Mark Lechner; James E.M. Watson; Martine Maron

doi:10.1016/j.oneear.2022.08.012

Biodiversity risks and safeguards of China's hydropower financing in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries

Divya Narain, Hoong Chen Teo, Alex Mark Lechner, James E.M. Watson, Martine Maron

Urban Design Indonesia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

China has emerged as the largest overseas financier of hydropower in low-income countries. Since hydropower dams pose risks to biodiversity, an examination of potential biodiversity impacts of Chinese projects is critically needed. We conducted a biodiversity risk and safeguards assessment of Chinese-funded dams being built in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. We identified 49 Chinese-funded dams in 18 BRI countries. They pose a risk to 14 free-flowing rivers, 12 critically endangered freshwater fish species, and 134 km² of critical terrestrial habitat. While the overall biodiversity risk is high, dams funded by key Chinese financiers namely, China Development Bank and China Export-import Bank, do not pose a higher risk compared with multilateral development bank (MDB)-funded dams. Chinese regulators do not have binding biodiversity safeguard requirements for overseas projects while the corresponding requirements of MDBs fail to address riverine impact. Robust safeguards and basin-wide planning will allow China to minimize the biodiversity risks of its hydropower portfolio, while still decarbonizing its overseas energy financing.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1019-1029
Number of pages	11
Journal	One Earth
Volume	5
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.08.012
Publication status	Published - 16 Sept 2022

Keywords

Belt and Road Initiative
biodiversity impact mitigation
China
critical habitat
free-flowing rivers
freshwater fish
hydropower
multilateral development banks
net zero
renewable energy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.oneear.2022.08.012

Cite this

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title = "Biodiversity risks and safeguards of China's hydropower financing in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries",

abstract = "China has emerged as the largest overseas financier of hydropower in low-income countries. Since hydropower dams pose risks to biodiversity, an examination of potential biodiversity impacts of Chinese projects is critically needed. We conducted a biodiversity risk and safeguards assessment of Chinese-funded dams being built in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. We identified 49 Chinese-funded dams in 18 BRI countries. They pose a risk to 14 free-flowing rivers, 12 critically endangered freshwater fish species, and 134 km2 of critical terrestrial habitat. While the overall biodiversity risk is high, dams funded by key Chinese financiers namely, China Development Bank and China Export-import Bank, do not pose a higher risk compared with multilateral development bank (MDB)-funded dams. Chinese regulators do not have binding biodiversity safeguard requirements for overseas projects while the corresponding requirements of MDBs fail to address riverine impact. Robust safeguards and basin-wide planning will allow China to minimize the biodiversity risks of its hydropower portfolio, while still decarbonizing its overseas energy financing.",

keywords = "Belt and Road Initiative, biodiversity impact mitigation, China, critical habitat, free-flowing rivers, freshwater fish, hydropower, multilateral development banks, net zero, renewable energy",

author = "Divya Narain and Teo, {Hoong Chen} and Lechner, {Alex Mark} and Watson, {James E.M.} and Martine Maron",

note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to Jeremy Simmonds for his suggestions to improve the study. Conceptualization was done by D.N. M.M. A.M.L. J.E.M.W. and H.C.T.; data were collected by D.N.; non-spatial data were analyzed by D.N.; spatial data were analyzed by H.C.T. D.N. and A.M.L.; Chinese language search and analysis was done by H.C.T.; the manuscript was drafted by D.N. with editorial support from M.M. A.M.L. and J.E.M.W. The authors declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",

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T1 - Biodiversity risks and safeguards of China's hydropower financing in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries

AU - Narain, Divya

AU - Teo, Hoong Chen

AU - Lechner, Alex Mark

AU - Watson, James E.M.

AU - Maron, Martine

N1 - Funding Information: We are grateful to Jeremy Simmonds for his suggestions to improve the study. Conceptualization was done by D.N. M.M. A.M.L. J.E.M.W. and H.C.T.; data were collected by D.N.; non-spatial data were analyzed by D.N.; spatial data were analyzed by H.C.T. D.N. and A.M.L.; Chinese language search and analysis was done by H.C.T.; the manuscript was drafted by D.N. with editorial support from M.M. A.M.L. and J.E.M.W. The authors declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2022/9/16

Y1 - 2022/9/16

N2 - China has emerged as the largest overseas financier of hydropower in low-income countries. Since hydropower dams pose risks to biodiversity, an examination of potential biodiversity impacts of Chinese projects is critically needed. We conducted a biodiversity risk and safeguards assessment of Chinese-funded dams being built in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. We identified 49 Chinese-funded dams in 18 BRI countries. They pose a risk to 14 free-flowing rivers, 12 critically endangered freshwater fish species, and 134 km2 of critical terrestrial habitat. While the overall biodiversity risk is high, dams funded by key Chinese financiers namely, China Development Bank and China Export-import Bank, do not pose a higher risk compared with multilateral development bank (MDB)-funded dams. Chinese regulators do not have binding biodiversity safeguard requirements for overseas projects while the corresponding requirements of MDBs fail to address riverine impact. Robust safeguards and basin-wide planning will allow China to minimize the biodiversity risks of its hydropower portfolio, while still decarbonizing its overseas energy financing.

AB - China has emerged as the largest overseas financier of hydropower in low-income countries. Since hydropower dams pose risks to biodiversity, an examination of potential biodiversity impacts of Chinese projects is critically needed. We conducted a biodiversity risk and safeguards assessment of Chinese-funded dams being built in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. We identified 49 Chinese-funded dams in 18 BRI countries. They pose a risk to 14 free-flowing rivers, 12 critically endangered freshwater fish species, and 134 km2 of critical terrestrial habitat. While the overall biodiversity risk is high, dams funded by key Chinese financiers namely, China Development Bank and China Export-import Bank, do not pose a higher risk compared with multilateral development bank (MDB)-funded dams. Chinese regulators do not have binding biodiversity safeguard requirements for overseas projects while the corresponding requirements of MDBs fail to address riverine impact. Robust safeguards and basin-wide planning will allow China to minimize the biodiversity risks of its hydropower portfolio, while still decarbonizing its overseas energy financing.

KW - Belt and Road Initiative

KW - biodiversity impact mitigation

KW - China

KW - critical habitat

KW - free-flowing rivers

KW - freshwater fish

KW - hydropower

KW - multilateral development banks

KW - net zero

KW - renewable energy

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85138031985&partnerID=8YFLogxK

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DO - 10.1016/j.oneear.2022.08.012

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85138031985

SN - 2590-3330

VL - 5

SP - 1019

EP - 1029

JO - One Earth

JF - One Earth

IS - 9

ER -

Biodiversity risks and safeguards of China's hydropower financing in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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