Gwadar's Boom Goes Bust: Oil Spill Exposes Environmental Toll of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The small port city of Gwadar in southwestern Pakistan has experienced rapid development and environmental degradation since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was announced. The corridor aims to connect western China to the Indian Ocean, bypassing the potential maritime chokepoint of the strait of Malacca.
Gwadar is planned as the corridor's ocean terminus and its crown jewel. However, local people say years of rapid development have brought displacement, flooding, and environmental destruction. Fishers who once thrived on the bounties of the sea have resorted to smuggling Iranian oil through a sea route near the border.
The city's entire coast was coated with dark oil last month after a 20-kilometre-long slick appeared. The cause is still unknown, but officials suspect fighting in the Gulf may be responsible or that it could be related to oil smuggling from Iran. A sea turtle was found dead, half-buried in oily sand.
Local people say they have little role in conversations about developments and are worried about their livelihoods. The construction of a deep-sea port has reshaped the local marine environment. Fishers can no longer access their traditional fishing spots near the port, which was inaugurated in March 2007 at a cost of $248 million.
Experts say environmental impacts from mega-development projects like ports and railways are always present but can be mitigated with proper assessment and conversation with local people. However, in Gwadar, this has not been the case.