Engaging with the giant

“Infrastructure projects can be very important for the development of a country or region. But they should be designed so as to contribute to sustainability locally, too – and that means respecting the needs of the local population and the integrity of the environment,” explains CDE researcher Lara Lundsgaard-Hansen. The CDE initiative also intends to connect local actors, in order to widen the impact of positive examples.

However, closer inspection reveals a flipside. In the course of building the line, Laos has racked up an additional estimated USD 1.5 billion in debt to China.

It won’t be long before the impact of this project becomes clear – not only for the cities connected to it, but also for the majority rural population.