Questions Concerning The World Bank and Chad/Cameroon Oil and Pipeline Project... - The Diigo Meta page

• 26 Apr 08
  

  Arabica Robusta

  Good early article.

  chad cameroon petroleum development africa world bank ifc exxonmobil mobil exxon edf

  • In both Chad and Cameroon, civil society organizations struggling to increase democracy and defend human rights and the environment are taking root. The presence and growth of these organizations is a source of hope for more equitable and environmentally sound development, yet they face difficulties and threats from the existing power structures. They need strengthening and support, but the oil project may undermine hopes for a greater democratic opening.
  • An environmental impact assessment is being carried out and an Environmental Panel was put in place to mitigate these problems. But the best environmental reports are of little help when there is no government commitment to carry out its recommendations. This lack of commitment is especially evident in Cameroon, a country with one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Once the money is flowing, the unholy trinity of oil, power, and corruption will make corrective action difficult.
  • The World Bank claims that the project will alleviate poverty because revenue from the oil for the Government of Chad and royalties for the Government of Cameroon for the use of the pipeline would be invested in poverty programs. This argument has little credibility, however, in view of the demonstrated lack of commitment by either government to alleviate poverty.

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