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Between the Dragon's gift and its claws: Chinese environmental footprints in Africa.
Panel P01 at conference DSA2022: Just sustainable futures in an urbanising and mobile world.
Although the study of China in Africa has generated optimism, pessimism and caution, unanswered questions about the nature and response(s) to Chinese environmental footprints persists. We invite contributions that can shed more light on the environmental dimensions of African-China relations.
Long Abstract:
The debate about the development impact of China in Africa has generated optimism, pessimism and caution. While optimists view China as an alternative to the West and a partner in Africa’s development project, pessimists imagine a debt trap and some sort of Chinese colonisation of the continent (even if it is by invitation). The cautious group argues that although Africa can benefit from engaging China such expectation is conditional upon a deliberate African agency, availability of conducive local structures, and/or willingness to plan. Yet, just as China is becoming a major player in the provision of renewable energy in Africa, the activities of some Chinese businesses are raising serious environmental concerns. In spite of the growing global environmental concern and commitment to sustainable environmental development, academic interests in Chinese environmental footprints in Africa has, at best, waxed and waned in the last 15 years. This panel therefore invites contributions that offers newer or deeper insights into the nature, evolution and response(s) to Chinese environmental footprints in Africa. Contributors that choose to discuss Africa’s responses to this reality could either focus on (one or more) states, non-state or adopt a mixed approach.
Methodology
Panellists will upload their pre-recorded presentations. The convenor will then ask each panellist watch the presentations of others in the panel and offer two questions or feedbacks they consider as import. The convenor will then share all the questions and comments from panellists with respective panellist in advance. All panellists will be invited to answer one question each in the synchronous discussion session. Although timing will be determined by the number of presenters in the panel, it is envisaged that each panellist will have four minutes in the discussion session: two minutes to give a pitch summarising their key argument and another two minutes to address the key question from the convenor. This will be followed by discussion that will be open to the audience with convenors’ moderation.
Chinese environmental footprint in Africa is multidimensional but non-state actors are emerging as important elements in many contexts. Using critical discourse analysis, this paper interrogates Stonebwoy's song - ie. "Greedy Men" - as a response to Chinese environmental footprint in Ghana.
Paper long abstract:
Non-state actors are critical elements in Africa-China environmental relations. While their diversity (in terms of focus, target, approach, etc.) is not in doubt, this paper focus on the artistic expression of a Ghanaian musician, Livingstone Etse Satekla popularly know by his stage name Stonebwoy. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), this intervention specifically unpacks the context, timing, and response to Stonebwoy's "Greedy Men" that expresses arguably the strongest criticism against Chinese involvement in illegal gold mining (or galamsey) in Ghana. Beyond drawing attention to his rendition of Chinese involvement in galamsey, this paper builds on an earlier argument that non-state actors offer "points of engagements" in Africa-China relations - sometimes within a context where the African State has failed (or where it is failing or slow). In the case of "Greedy Men," while this paper highlights the song's core arguments it also strongly illustrates important questions about the limits of music as a tool for social change. Nonetheless, the paper concludes that artistic expressions, like the one by Stonebwoy, could at least dent (if not limit) China's soft power in Africa and negatively impact people-to-people relations.
This paper analyses Sino-Ghana relations, using the bauxite-for-infrastructure deal signed in 2018 as a case study. It uses qualitative approach, and strategic partnership as a guiding framework. It evaluates the benefit-cost trap based on competitive-cooperative interests of both parties.
Paper long abstract:
Ghana and China have historically used state-to-state deals to reinvent and deepen bilateral relations since the 1960s. One of such partnerships is the Master Project Support Agreement that was signed in 2018 with Sinohydro Corporation. In this deal, Sinohydro, a China state-run hydropower engineering and construction firm will construct priority infrastructure projects for Ghana in exchange for mining bauxite at the Atewa forest located in the Eastern Region. This research paper evaluates the benefits and traps of the Agreement for Sino-Ghana relations. It uses qualitative research approach, involving archival, historical and qualitative analyses, complemented by semi-structured interviews and media reports. The discussion is framed around the theory of strategic partnership and explores the mutual cooperative-competitive interests of both parties. Preliminary findings show the Atewa forest sits on a 26,000-hectare land with more than 900 million metric tonnes of bauxite, manganese and iron combined and valued at more than US$500 billion. Sinohydro is to mine at least 5% of this wealth for 15 years in exchange for constructing the priority projects. The projects will cost Sinohydro about U.S.$2 billion which is also part of a US$19 billion loan granted to Ghana by China. Ghana will pay back the loan with refined aluminium instead of money which suggests China acted more smartly than Ghana since money loses value, unlike aluminium which is likely to rather appreciate. The paper concludes by reflecting on these concerns while showcasing the cost-benefit trap of the deal for Sino-Ghana relations.
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Short Abstract:
Although the study of China in Africa has generated optimism, pessimism and caution, unanswered questions about the nature and response(s) to Chinese environmental footprints persists. We invite contributions that can shed more light on the environmental dimensions of African-China relations.
Long Abstract:
The debate about the development impact of China in Africa has generated optimism, pessimism and caution. While optimists view China as an alternative to the West and a partner in Africa’s development project, pessimists imagine a debt trap and some sort of Chinese colonisation of the continent (even if it is by invitation). The cautious group argues that although Africa can benefit from engaging China such expectation is conditional upon a deliberate African agency, availability of conducive local structures, and/or willingness to plan. Yet, just as China is becoming a major player in the provision of renewable energy in Africa, the activities of some Chinese businesses are raising serious environmental concerns. In spite of the growing global environmental concern and commitment to sustainable environmental development, academic interests in Chinese environmental footprints in Africa has, at best, waxed and waned in the last 15 years. This panel therefore invites contributions that offers newer or deeper insights into the nature, evolution and response(s) to Chinese environmental footprints in Africa. Contributors that choose to discuss Africa’s responses to this reality could either focus on (one or more) states, non-state or adopt a mixed approach.
Methodology
Panellists will upload their pre-recorded presentations. The convenor will then ask each panellist watch the presentations of others in the panel and offer two questions or feedbacks they consider as import. The convenor will then share all the questions and comments from panellists with respective panellist in advance. All panellists will be invited to answer one question each in the synchronous discussion session. Although timing will be determined by the number of presenters in the panel, it is envisaged that each panellist will have four minutes in the discussion session: two minutes to give a pitch summarising their key argument and another two minutes to address the key question from the convenor. This will be followed by discussion that will be open to the audience with convenors’ moderation.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 7 July, 2022, -Abdul-Gafar Oshodi (Lagos State University)
Sulley Ibrahim (Institute of Local Government Studies)