Paper short abstract:

In this paper, we examine a seemingly paradoxical trend, whereby new transport corridors in East and Southern Africa appear to be simultaneously driving the degradation and conservation of the environment and biodiversity.

Paper long abstract:

The world is experiencing one of the most explosive eras of infrastructure development in history. As the global economy expands ever further into new frontiers of commodity and energy production, demand for new and improved transport infrastructure has skyrocketed. This transport infrastructure boom is particularly notable in East and Southern Africa, where vast networks of railways, roads, and pipelines are being constructed to open isolated parts of the continent for investment. A growing body of academic literature claims that these 'transport corridors' are fuelling environmental degradation, habitat fragmentation, and the illegal wildlife trade. Yet, such claims largely overlook the fact that transport corridors are also paving the way for new investments in eco-tourism, protected areas, and renewable energy. In this paper, we examine this seemingly paradoxical trend of transport corridors simultaneously driving both the degradation and conservation of the environment. Specifically, we consider the types of conservation futures emerging as the geopolitical interests of different global actors - e.g. Chinese investment in infrastructure and British investment in conservation - come into contact with each other along transport corridors in East and Southern Africa. Our analysis is based on research carried out along transport corridors in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia between 2014 and 2018.