The Ecological Impacts of the China-Africa Relationship: Case Studies of Chinese Engagement in Kenya and Ethiopia

Abstract

This thesis explores the environmental impacts of large-scale Chinese investments in Africa, with a particular focus on Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway and the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway in Ethiopia. Drawing on qualitative data, this study focuses on the state and civil society discourses surrounding Chinese engagement and development projects, sustainable development, and environmental responsibility. A discourse analysis is conducted for both host countries to examine the ways in which Chinese engagement is perceived and shaped by domestic political, economic, and social contexts, from both state and non-state actors. The findings reveal multiple complex and often conflicting mechanisms within the domestic contexts of Kenya and Ethiopia that contribute to the environmental outcome of Chinese funded development initiatives, underscoring the limitations of China’s self-proclaimed commitment to green development. By examining the local responses and mitigation strategies in Kenya and Ethiopia, this thesis contributes to the growing literature on the ecological consequences of Chinese engagement in Africa.