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Atewa Forest: China Development Bank Contradict Its Green Policy

By Ajarfor Emmanuel Abugri
General News Atewa Forest: China Development Bank Contradict Its Green Policy
MAY 26, 2018 LISTEN

There have been 12 failed attempts in the past to mine Atewa Forest Reserve for bauxite and that was mainly due to strong resistance from community members, individual organisations, policy think tanks and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) because of its enormous benefit to the nearby communities and the nation at large.

In what appears to be an affront to humanity and negligence, the Senior Minister and senior citizen by all standards, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, in July 2017 stated that Government of Ghana had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Development Bank to leverage Atewa forest for a US$10billion loan.

This move has been rejected by concerned citizens considering the fact that the Atewa Forest Reserve in the Eastern Region is the source of river Densu, Ayensu and Birim which serves 5million people with drinking water.

The Friends of the Earth-Ghana, Rocha-Ghana and Tropenbos Ghana under the umbrella of Green Livelihood Alliance (GLA) under the “Save the Atewa” campaign have stated that the China Development Bank’s proposed funding towards Bauxite Mining in the Atewa Forest would have very damaging impacts for biodiversity, wildlife, climate, water resources, and people (present and future).

The group call on the Chinese Banking Regulatory Authority to apply all the necessary sanctions on the Chines Development Bank should they go ahead to fund the bauxite mining in the Atewa forest.

They further urge Government of Ghana as a matter of urgency to stop all mining and prospecting activities in Ghana’s forest reserves.

According to the group, funding the destruction of the Atewa Forest violates the Bank’s own environmental principles and has a consequence for the bank’s reputation and public image.

Addressing a section of the media in Accra, the Director of Friends of the Earth-Ghana (FoE-Ghana), Dr. Theo Anderson said the Chinese Development Bank has signed up to various initiatives, including the UN Global Compact and the UNEP Finance Initiative, which both require a precautionary approach to development by ensuring projects do not cause negative impacts on the environment and people, especially affected communities.

He noted that in its core principles, the Bank itself states that “it places great emphasis on environmental protection. It also guides the enterprises it works with to manage overseas projects according to international ecological principles and regulations (e.g. UN Convention of Biological Diversity, UNCBD).”

Dr. Theo added that the bank, in its reports has also stated it is dedicated to ‘green development’ and to promoting ecological civilisation including environmental protection.

According to him, the China Development Bank, like all other banks in China, is also regulated by the China Banking Regulatory Commission and its mandatory ‘Green credit Initiative.’

He indicated that this obligates all China’s banks to ensure the projects they finance abide by the applicable laws and regulations on environmental protection, land, health and safety of the country or jurisdiction where the project is located and be consistent with international best practices and standards.

Dr. Theo added that such projects must also undergo environmental and social risk assessments at all stages, suspend or terminate credit for a project where major risks or hazards are identified and obliges banks’ Boards of Directors to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in the projects it chooses to fund.

Disappointment
The group expressed disappointment in the current ruling government over its decision to leverage Atewa forest for a loan of 10billion dollars meanwhile, successive governments have received tens of millions of dollars in aid for the purpose of sustainably managing and conserving our forests resources.

According to Dr. Theo, to destroy our forests through mining will be an affront to those whose taxes are given to us in development aid for the purpose of sustainably managing our forests

Demands
The group urges the Government of Ghana and the Chinese Development Bank to explore alternative ways in which the Atewa forest will generate additional financial resources for the state and also to support development of local communities while preserving the ecological integrity for the Atewa forest.

Dr. Theo posited that such initiatives could include the protection of the Atewa forest as a National Park to be developed for ecotourism, scientific study and educational opportunities, together with various sustainable economic livelihoods for local communities.

He intimated that any country whose economy is dependent on the extraction of exhaustible natural resources is not sustainable in the long run.

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