In the state-run Kua forest in Burkina Faso, the authorities’ decision to declassify a portion of the forest for a Chinese-sponsored hospital triggered an environmental civil society movement to change the project’s site. During this event, Asma Amina Belem presented her research arguing that the domestic political context played a significant role in the formation of this movement and its outcomes. She was joined by Jessica Norris and Anita Plummer for a conversation on the implications of these findings for the environmental governance of Chinese-funded projects in Africa.
This event was co-sponsored by Georgetown University's Africa-China Initiative and the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues.
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Asma Amina Belem is a post-doctoral fellow with Georgetown University’s Africa-China Initiative. Her current research focuses on the political economy of Chinese aid and investments in Africa, particularly on environmental governance, medical assistance, and infrastructure cooperation.
Jessica Norris is a Ph.D. candidate at Georgetown University whose research focuses on energy and environmental policy design, specifically within the Chinese political context.
Anita Plummer is an associate professor of African studies at Howard University and the associate director of research and faculty engagement at Howard University’s Center for Women, Gender, and Global Leadership.