Juffe Bignoli, Diego, Burgess, Neil, Wijesinghe, Amayaa, Thorn, Jessica P R, Brown, Molly, Gannon, Kate, Sang, Catherine, Lesutis, Gediminas, Lyimo, Paulo, Chilagane, Nyemo, and others. (2024) Towards more sustainable and inclusive development corridors in Africa. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, 4 (3). Article Number 035012. E-ISSN 2634-4505. (doi:10.1088/2634-4505/ad7887) (KAR id:107493)
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| Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/ad7887 |
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Abstract
Development corridors are linear programmes of infrastructure and agriculture aiming to facilitate rapid socio-economic development. In Africa, they are a major development activity, with 88 underway or planned corridors. Drawing from extensive literature and insights gleaned from a 4 year research programme, this review scrutinizes the impacts of development corridors on people, wildlife and ecosystems in Kenya and Tanzania, proposing solutions to achieve better outcomes. The overarching goal was to discern the principle challenges emerging from the practical execution of the prevailing corridor model. The holistic approach taken, assessing the development corridors paradigm through an integrated ecological, social, and economic lens, provides novel insights that have not been possible using more traditional—siloed—research approaches. Eight key challenge areas are identified: impact assessments processes; coherence across international, national and local planning; governance; inclusivity; equality; impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services; incorporation of future climate risks; and integrated water resource management. Poorly planned and implemented corridors detrimentally impact livelihoods and ecosystems. They lack a sustainable development vision, detailed social, environmental or climate risk assessments, and develop incrementally in policy and corporate spaces. There is also often a disconnect between investors and recipient governments, with some investors funding what governments request without applying internationally-recognised safeguards, and governments lacking capacity and resources to enforce regulations. We make recommendations for addressing these challenge areas. These aim to enhance impact assessment efficacy; integrate local perspectives into effective and inclusive corridor planning; overcome siloed project development and implementation; anticipate future development projections; and prioritise landscape preservation for enhanced ecosystem services and climate resilience.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| DOI/Identification number: | 10.1088/2634-4505/ad7887 |
| Projects: | Developmental Corridors Partnership project (ES/P011500/1) |
| Uncontrolled keywords: | sustainable; inclusive; development; corridors; Africa |
| Subjects: |
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences |
| Divisions: | Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation > DICE (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology) |
| Funders: | UK Research and Innovation (https://ror.org/001aqnf71) |
| Depositing User: | Diego Juffe-Bignoli |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Oct 2024 11:55 UTC |
| Last Modified: | 11 Oct 2024 09:51 UTC |
| Resource URI: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/107493 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
University of Kent Author Information
Juffe Bignoli, Diego.
| Creator's ORCID: | |
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| CReDIT Contributor Roles: |
Bull, Joseph W..
| Creator's ORCID: |
 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7337-8977
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| CReDIT Contributor Roles: |
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