In the 21st century, the world has seen the creation of regional and international strategic policies, in addition to significant problems posed by climate change. The global order is changing, on the one hand, while the natural environment of Earth is being destroyed on the other. Countries are encouraged to collaborate on a geostrategic and geoeconomic basis through these strategic policies.
With a projected cost in the billions of dollars, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which will link China with the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa, has been formulated. Furthermore, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as a flagship project of BRI, was developed in Balochistan as a result of China’s “good neighbor policy” and Pakistan’s foreign policy, which prioritizes “regional connectivity.”
Approximately 52% of China’s Middle Eastern oil supply is obtained directly through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which also helps to bolster Pakistan’s weak infrastructure and shaky economy. Although the benefits provided under this initiative are unparalleled, a central component of CPEC has been the prompt expansion of coal-fired power plants, which prompts a query, “Are Coal-Fired Plants in CPEC Sacrificing the future of Balochistan?”
Balochistan, known as “Pakistan’s fruit basket,” is a province rich in resources that accounts for about 43% of the country’s total land area. Despite having one of the largest gold mines in the world (RekoDiq) and reserves of iron and copper (Saindak mines), the province has been ignored historically because of its lack of infrastructure, employment opportunities, socioeconomic growth, and connectivity.
For the province of Balochistan, CPEC is regarded as a game-changer since it will create jobs, improve agriculture, and address domestic and industrial energy concerns. Several infrastructure-related and energy-related projects, including HUBCO and the Gwadar Coal Power Project within the general framework of the CPEC, have been initiated, especially in Balochistan. With investments in energy projects, highways, and railroads, the sector is poised for significant expansion.
Additionally, CPEC has expanded the economy beyond its traditional sectors by fostering industry, agriculture, and fisheries. To alleviate Pakistan’s energy issue, CPEC includes several coal-fired power facilities, most notably the Thar Coal Project and the 1,320 MW Sahiwal Coal Power Project. These initiatives seek to increase power production while lowering dependency on foreign fuels. Moreover, the construction of coal-fired power plants under the CPEC project may help Balochistan’s economy and meet its immediate energy needs. However, these short-term benefits come at a high cost to the province’s long-term environmental health because they put future development’s sustainability in jeopardy, leading to deforestation, water scarcity, extreme weather and other environmental concerns in Balochistan.
Inadvertently, CPEC has led to more deforestation in Balochistan despite its advantages. The rapid expansion of coal-fired power plants under the aegis of CPEC is a significant factor in the degradation of the environment. Building huge coal-fired power plants usually requires the extraction of enormous volumes of coal, which often calls for open-pit mining. This kind of mining is well known for being dangerous since it needs to remove vegetation and topsoil in order to reach the coal seams.
As a result, vast areas of vegetation, including mangroves and other coastal plants, have been eliminated, exposing the people and landscapes of Balochistan to pollution. Once the coal is mined, the area is often left desolate with little to no effort made into restoration or reforestation.
In a similar vein, Balochistan’s water scarcity is linked to its natural dry climate and to the CPEC coal-fired power plants. Coal-fired power plants burn coal to heat water, transforming it into steam, this steam then runs turbines, which generate electricity. Coal plants often require large volumes of water to operate, which puts strain on the region’s water supply, particularly in locations with scarce water supplies. The extraction and use of water for cooling reduces the amount of water available for domestic use, agriculture, and ecosystem management. As a result, the province’s natural equilibrium and way of life are seriously threatened by the arid climate and overuse of water resources.
Furthermore, the coal-fired power plants located along the CPEC have unintentionally exacerbated heatwaves, increased temperatures, and caused flooding in Balochistan. Deforestation, coal mining, transportation, and burning all contribute to global warming, which affects the weather. Balochistan’s coastal regions are especially susceptible to the effects of climate change. The Summer of 2022 in Gwadar witnessed record-breaking temperatures, putting the city’s residents at serious risk for heat-related illnesses.
Besides, the province has been experiencing the effects of global warming due to coal-fired power plants in CPEC in the form of intensive flooding. Homes, buildings, bridges, and 243 roadways were destroyed by the floods of 2022, which destroyed lines of communication. Due to the province’s great vulnerability to climate change and the lack of climate-resilient policies, the projects under CPEC have a high likelihood of harming the province.
In conclusion, the CPEC has enormous potential for economic growth and offers short-term solutions to energy difficulties. However, it has unintentionally exacerbated several environmental concerns in Balochistan, including deforestation, rising temperatures, intensifying heatwaves, increased flooding, and deteriorated the province’s water shortage. Ultimately, the ability of CPEC to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability will determine how successful it is. The short-term benefits that the project offers Pakistan could be jeopardized if its long-term environmental challenges are not resolved.
