According to media reports, Indonesia’s operations by Chinese companies have created a danger for its environment. These companies continue to exploit natural resource and disturb the country’s ecological equilibrium. The delicate local environment is being ignored by these companies that continue to exploit natural resources and cause displacement of the native population.
China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, (BRI), has seen the construction of the Batang Toru Hydro-Power Project worth USD 1.6billion as a threat to Sumatran Orangutans. This species is critically endangered on Sumatra Island in Indonesia. The Bank of China funded the project, which was rejected by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and International Finance Corporation due to environmental concerns.
Notably, the speech of Xi Jinping, Chinese President, emphasized the importance of open, green, and sustainable cooperation to make BRI development viable. This was in his speech at Boao Forum (April 2021), for the Asia Annual Conference. However, China’s double standards of sustainable development are obvious as Chinese activities while developing zinc mine in Northern Sumatra, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail and the Probolinggo-Banyuwangi highway have been destroying the environment in the country, according to the media outlet.
PT Dairi Prima Mineral Project DPM (Zenith Mining Project), a project to mine zinc, has raised concerns among indigenous farmers over the likely rise in acidity of the soil from sulphuric, which is a byproduct of the mining operations. The Mineral project is not transparent and accountable. There are also concerns about the Chinese company’s autonomy, according to earth.org.
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail Project has been the most visible example of Chinese insensitivity to local concerns. This project has caused forced evictions, flooding and degrading of farmland. The Hong Kong Post reported that many Chinese-funded projects in Indonesia pose a threat to the environment, as they continue disregarding the local population’s concerns for their economic ambitions. (ANI)
(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff. It is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.