Over the last decade, large infrastructure projects across the land, water, and even deserts of the globe have been built under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Remarkably facilitating transportation and economic development, these projects have also taken painstaking effort to preserve the surrounding ecology and foster a green transformation in those countries.

Focusing on biodiversity

Before 2022, travelers from northern Croatia had to make a detour through a 9-km stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina's coast to reach Ston, a small town located at Peljesac, a sun-drenched peninsula in southern Croatia. The Peljesac Bridge, a BRI project, was built to cut the travel time.

The local oyster farmers had worried that the project might harm their shellfish business, but thanks to the stringent environmental standards the Chinese companies adopted during construction, the quality of the oysters, an EU Geographical Indication product, have not been affected at all. The bridge helps them sell more oysters, according to Qi Qianjin, Chinese ambassador to Croatia.

BRI projects have not only taken measures to preserve the environment and control noises, but have built wildlife passes for animals as well.

A journalist takes a selfie with two staffers in front of a train at the West Mombasa Station on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway, Kenya in this file photo. The railway, built and operated by China Road and Bridge Corporation, opened to traffic in 2017. Photos by Xinhua

In Kenya, the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that runs through national parks has designed several wildlife corridors, including seven bridges, several culverts, and embankments to funnel wildlife to the underpasses out of safety concerns. Noise absorbers are also installed along the corridors.

A sustainable future

Many BRI projects help promote clean and renewable energy in the form of wind farms, solar power plants, and eco-friendly transportation systems in host countries.

"Through BRI projects our government has taken different projects for the reduction of carbon emission and transition to green energy sources," said Dilip Barua, general secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh.

Some 400 km away from the capital Dhaka, the recently inaugurated Cox's Bazar wind power project, a flagship initiative invested by Wuling Power Corp. and built by PowerChina Chengdu Engineering Corp., marked a major milestone in Bangladesh's quest for cleaner and more sustainable energy.

Upon operation, the project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kWh of clean electricity per year, reduce coal consumption by 44,600 metric tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 109,200 metric tons, supplying electricity to 100,000 households.

"A number of projects implemented in Kenya under BRI have positively contributed to environment protection and conservation," said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar.

The Nairobi Expressway, built in partnership with China Road and Bridge Corporation, has designed greenery belts along the road to serve as carbon sinks for the emissions.

The Nairobi Global Trade Center has adopted green building technologies to ensure it cushions the environment from harmful emissions. The tower uses a special glass to reflect heat while letting light in, and adopts a breathable curtain wall to replace air conditioners.

Mostafa Kareem, a member of the faculty for irrigation and hydraulic engineering at Cairo University, spoke highly of the BRI projects in Egypt, citing the Central Business District (CBD) project in the new administrative capital and the Cairo light rail transit system as examples.

"These initiatives are not only aimed at enhancing transportation and urban development but also at reducing emissions and supporting Egypt's goals for sustainable development," Kareem said.

With Chinese technology, Ethiopia is releasing its massive solar energy potential by launching a renewable energy research center.

In June this year, China and Ethiopia initiated a joint research project on "biogas, biomass and solar energy" in agriculture.

A train runs on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia on Sept. 30. The high-speed line is a flagship project that fully utilizes Chinese railway system design, technology and industrial components. 

As China is rolling out its green transition, its government has also emphasized South-South cooperation in renewable energy projects. Technology transfer from China to the BRI countries has been scaled up.

A significant number of solar energy and hydraulic power plants were built in the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, said Eduardo Regalado, senior researcher at the International Policy Research Center of Cuba.

Mitigating hazards

Chinese scientists from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography are working with their Kenyan peers to address the challenge of desertification faced by all northern African countries.

The Kampala-Entebbe Expressway in Uganda is another example where Chinese knowhow becomes valuable, said Jonathan Tabalanga, a lecturer at Uganda's Cavendish University.

"The Nambigirwa Bridge, the longest in our country (1.5 km), was built with precautions taken not to harm the environment. … They built a bridge and when it’s completed, everything remains the same," explained Tabalanga.

Tabalanga also mentioned the Kingfisher oil project built in partnership with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), which went the extra mile to minimize the project’s impact on the surrounding environment, employing technological means.

In the Oromia region of Ethiopia, the China-built Genale-Dawa III Multipurpose Hydropower Project now supplies electricity to the nearby communities that previously used firewood to meet their energy demand. During the construction of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway project, several bridges and ditches were built as part of an effort to prevent erosion and land degradation.

"China-built wind farms in different parts of Ethiopia also supply clean energy to local communities," said Mulualem.

A green outlook

Since its debut, the BRI has been conceptualized as the "Green Belt and Road" as the Chinese government is committed to sustainability and environmental protection. In 2015, the Chinese government outlined the vision and framework of the BRI, emphasizing the importance of environmental protection and sustainability in related projects. China and participating countries have also established the frameworks for conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines for BRI projects, so that environmental concerns are addressed during planning and implementation.

China has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Program on building a green Belt and Road for 2017-2022, reached environmental cooperation agreements with more than 30 countries and international organizations, and formed the BRI International Green Development Coalition with more than 150 partners from 40-plus countries.

China has also promoted green finance, using green bonds and green investment practices to fund environment-friendly projects within the BRI framework. Green finance channels funds into renewable energy projects, and encourages the incorporation of technologies and designs that minimize carbon footprints.

"This includes using low-carbon materials, improving transportation systems, and adopting sustainable construction practices. Good examples implemented in Kenya under BRI include the SGR and the Nairobi Expressway," Adhere said.