Conservation Geopolitics
Envisioning the Future of the 'Belt & Road Initiative' in the Mountains of Central Asia
Published in: Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) Brief (October 2018)
Posted on RAND.org on October 30, 2018
China's Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) will bring huge investment into Central Asia in the form of roads, railways and other infrastructure projects over the next decade, and beyond. This MSRI Brief highlights potential environmental and social impacts of the BRI in the globally recognized Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot. The brief also outlines some of the key challenges as well as emerging opportunities resulting from BRI, seeking to encourage that this far-reaching initiative can serve in advancing sustainable development goals, including the safeguarding of biodiversity and promoting more inclusive development in mountain regions.
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