2022 Year in Review

2
Secondly,
some of the areas through
which the BRI routes are running are
vulnerable to landslides, flooding,
sedimentation in rivers and soil erosion,
such as the Karakoram Highway that
crosses a highly geodynamic area,
increasing the risks for natural
disasters. Deforestation also increases
the chances on floods and landslides.
An example is the Pan Borneo Highway
which crosses through Malaysia,
Indonesia and Brunei.
A c a r g o t r u c k l i e s f l i p p e d o n a h a i r p i n t u r n
o n a f a r n o r t h e r n s e c t i o n o f t h e K a r a k o r a m
H i g h w a y n e a r t h e b o r d e r w i t h C h i n a . T h e
r o a d i s o f t e n n a r r o w , c l i n g s t o s t e e p s l o p e s
a n d i s b a t t e r e d b y l a n d s l i d e s a n d f l o o d s .
P H O T O : D I A A H A D I D / N P R
3
Thirdly,
there can also be effects on the livelihoods of fauna and flora. The
Sambor hydroelectric dam, for example, reportedly obstructed fish migration
and caused changes to the river flow, also affecting the communities that lived
from the river. Furthermore, WWF listed more than 265 threatened species (incl.
giant pandas and tigers) and 1,739 critical biodiversity areas that will be
negatively impacted by the BRI. In Indonesia, for example, the Tapanuli
orangutan - the most rare ape on earth - is endangered by a hydroelectric power
plant that is being constructed in Sumatra’s Batang Toru forest highlands.
Moreover, the ecosystems of the BRI countries are also under threat as there
are over 800 alien invasive species that might be introduced by the BRI which
can also have dire effects on agricultural exports.
P A G E 7 8
F o r e s t i n B a t a n g T o r u , N o r t h S u m a t r a , I n d o n e s i a .
P H O T O : A N D R E W W A L K M S L E Y , S U M A T R A N O R A N G U T A N S O C I E T Y