In the year In 2017, scientists described a new species of great ape - Tapanuli orangutan. Not long ago, the species found in the Batang Toru ecosystem in North Sumatra, Indonesia, were threatened.
Populations of this species have declined by 83 percent over the past 75 years, mainly due to hunting and habitat loss. There are only 800 Tapanuli orangutans left, and their last known habitat is threatened by several infrastructure projects.
One of these is the Chinese-run Batang Toru Hydroelectric Dam, which has threatened the extinction of orangutans and flooding. The project is just one of 49 hydroelectric dams supported by China, mainly in Southeast Asia, but also in Africa and Latin America.
In a new study, my colleagues and I have shown the serious threat to biodiversity from many Chinese-funded dams. However, the environmental regulations of these projects have serious weaknesses.
Big dam, big risk
Hydropower is expected to be an important part of the global renewable energy transition. But this technology comes with environmental risks. Dams alter the habitat of species by cutting off the flow of rivers. And the reservoirs from the dams were flooded and destroyed terrestrial habitats.
Traditionally, financing of hydropower projects in low-income countries has been the responsibility of Western-backed multilateral development banks. Today, China holds the largest share of global hydropower financing through the Belt and Road Initiative's marine infrastructure investment program.
However, little is known about the extent of China's funding for hydropower or the threat to biodiversity. In addition, it is not well understood that Chinese regulators and host countries have implemented adequate security measures in the projects. Our research seeks to resolve this.
We found that China has financed 49 hydropower projects in 18 countries, including Myanmar, Laos and Pakistan.
The dam could cut off the flow of 14 free-flowing rivers, endangering the species they support. The first dam on a free-flowing river is an example of the so-called "first cut" on the way to a pristine forest ecosystem, with disproportionate damage to biodiversity.
In addition, the China-backed dam crosses the geographic range of 12 endangered freshwater fish species, including the famous Mekong giant catfish and the world's largest species of carp, the giant barb. Dams increase the threat to these species and may bring them closer to extinction.
135 square kilometers of critical land habitat can also be destroyed by dams and reservoirs.
Poor environmental regulations
Despite the threats to biodiversity, we found serious loopholes in environmental regulations applied to Chinese-funded dams.
The above analysis shows that the six Chinese state-owned banks, which provide the largest financing for the Belt and Road project, have no safeguards to limit biodiversity damage.
In addition to this analysis, our study found that Chinese regulators do not require hydropower projects to reduce environmental damage. However, some regulators have non-binding guidelines in their policies.
The different policies of the Chinese government are based on the local laws of the host country. However, our research shows that in most countries where dams are built, regulations to limit environmental damage have not existed or are still being developed.
This lack of good governance makes these countries' species and ecosystems vulnerable to environmental damage caused by dams.
Highlights of Sumatra
The Batang Toru Dam is designed to support North Sumatra's electricity supply. Proponents say the dam uses green technology that requires only a small area to flood.
But two multilateral development banks withdrew from the project after concerns were raised about its impact on the Tapanuli orangutans. The State Bank of China also canceled its money supply after international protests. Later, Chinese financier SDIC Power Holdings intervened.
Habitat destruction has left a handful of Tapanuli orangutans in a 1,400 square kilometer tropical rainforest in North Sumatra. Scientists say the Batang Toru Dam is threatening this habitat.
The construction of the dam required the digging of tunnels, mainly in the habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan. Experts say the project will permanently identify a subpopulation of the species and increase its risk of extinction.
This incident shows that hydroelectric projects can fail without proper planning and safety measures.
The importance of integrated planning
Many dams supported by China pose a serious threat to biodiversity. It also gives an opportunity.
China is financing a number of hydroelectric projects in certain basins. This set the stage for engaging in "River Basin Planning".
This includes decision-making not only on dam projects, but on other projects in the basin as well as on the wider community and environment.
This type of planning means that the dam can be designed to have minimal impact on endangered species and other sensitive and irreplaceable biodiversity.
Such "system-wide" planning is a key recommendation of international initiatives such as the World Commission on Dams and the EU's Water Framework Directive.
It also involves determining whether the proposed dam is the best way to meet energy demand, or whether alternatives such as wind or solar may pose less environmental risk.
Regarding the Batang Toru Dam, a report by a renowned international consultant in 2020 shows that the dam will not significantly improve electricity supply and regularity in North Sumatra, there is indeed an electricity surplus. .
Given the serious damage that dams can do to biodiversity, it is important to build only the dams that are absolutely necessary and minimize the associated damage.
Many Chinese-backed dams should be inspected for serious damage to biodiversity.
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CT: China-backed Indonesian dams threaten endangered great apes. And this is only the tip of the iceberg (December 2, 2022) Retrieved December 11, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-12-china-backed-indonesia-threatens-rare-great.html.
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