+ congo river basin the role of international money
TRANSCRIPT
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Congo River Basin
The Role of International Money
+Outline
Hydrology of the basin
Resources within the basin
Geopolitical background
Role of international parties
+Hydrology
Catchment area: 3.7 M km2
Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Angola, Cameroon, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia
2nd largest in world
Length: 3,100 km
Discharge: 40,000 m3/s
Highest potential for hydropower development
+Area and Precipitation
Area of Country within Basin (km2)
AngolaBu-
rundi
Cameroo
n
Cen-tral African Re-pub-lic
DR Congo
Re-pub-lic of Cong
o
Rwanda
Tanza-nia
Zambia
Area of Country within Basin (km2)
Angola
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Repub-lic
DR Congo
Republic of Congo
Rwanda
Tanzania
Zambia
Angola
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Repub-
lic
DR CongoRepub-lic of
Congo
Rwanda
Tan-zania
Zambia
Avg. Annual Rainfall (mm)
+Congo Forest
1.6 M km2
3 million people
400 species of mammals Gorillas Bonobos Elephants
1000 species of birds
>10,000 species of plants 3000 found only in this
forest
8 World Heritage Sites
+Resources
Timber, copper, cobalt, coltan, gold, manganese, uranium, oil, and diamonds
64-80% of world’s reserves in coltan, but only 10% of world’s production
+Geopolitical Background in DRC
1908: established as a Belgian colony
1960: gained independence
Mobutu in power for 32 years
1994: start of civil war
1997: Laurent Kabila came into power
1999: ceasefire signed
2001: Laurent Kabila assassinated
Joseph Kabila (son) became the head of state
2002: Pretoria Accord signed
Elections in 2006 and 2011
J Kabila won reelection (49%)
Carter Center – election lacked credibility
>24 people killed and 100,000 people displaced since election
+Democratic Republic of Congo
Poorest country in the world 71% of population below the poverty line $13.5 B in external debt (86th in world)
1.4 M internally displaced people (IDP) (2007)
Longest deployment of UN Peacekeeping Forces (since 1999)
International land disputes with the Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Zambia, and Angola
Export partners: China 46.9%, Zambia 23.3%, US 10.4%, Belgium 4.2%
Import partners: South Africa 19.2%, China 12.5%, Belgium 9.2%, Zambia 8.8%, Zimbabwe 6.9%, France 5.8%, Kenya 5.8%
+Congo River Basin
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Water Sector Working to improve data and communication in the region
Commission of the Congo-Oubangui-Sangha Basin (CICOS) DRC, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African
Republic 2003: ratified the accord creating the organization Emphasis on navigation, then water resource management
Interest in diverting water to Chad, but not enough data in Congo
Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) Burundi, DRC, Tanzania, Zambia Created in 2008 Regional oversight and management of the lake and its resources
Agreements among Member States
+International Involvement
Finland: EUR 100 M SADC Regional Meteorology Project
Food and Agriculture Organization of UN AQUASTAT
Germany: EUR 2.5 M CICOS
Netherlands: EUR 4.7 M WaterNet Trust
Sweden: EUR 3 M Water Demand in Southern Africa
United Nations Development Program: USD 52.5 M LTA
+Role of International Parties
“Economic structures favored foreign investment, particularly in the extractive industry, and little had been achieved to empower and build the capacity of citizens.” – WWF report on Cameroon
+International Aid to DRC from IMF5 year average of aid given in US$ M
Action relating to debt
Administrative costs
Economic in-frastructure and services
Education
Health and populationHumanitarian aid
Multisector/cross-cutting
Other social sectors
Production sectors
Program assistanceunallocated/unspeci-
fied
Aid by Sector
+Type of Financing by IMF
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009-1000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000Type of Financing (US$ M)
Net Debt Relief Grants
Repayments
Gross Loans
Other Grants
+DRC and China
Relationship began in 1972
China offers aid through education, hospitals, agriculture, infrastructure
Exponential increase in trade since 2004
Sicomines Barter deal arranged in 2008 $9 B in infrastructure for mining concessions in Katanga province
(~$50 B) Controversial and opposed by some within DRC and internationally
Not enough transparency Favors China too much Worries regarding debt sustainability
+Discussion Questions
What are some potential issues with different types of foreign aid?
How can foreign involvement be beneficial for the people of the DRC?
What are some competing interests with development and how can they be resolved?
What are some similarities and differences between the Congo and the Amazon?
+
Not well regulated or enforced
Disrupts gorilla habitats
Roads allow militants to move more easily
More poaching and brushmeat trade from militants and IDPs
Can affect carbon cycle and contribute to climate change
UNESCO and WWF trying to stop the exploitation of timber but it is a significant export for the region
Logging