The Future of Foreign Aid and Sustainable Development in Africa
Foreign Aid has long been criticized as an underlying factor to the underdevelopment of sub-Saharan African countries. Standard views has it that aid for large infrastructure projects is at the source of corruption and environmental degradation in African countries. Though the current perception is mostly negative, the resolutions that have been taken at recent national and international conventions concerning assistance and environmental sustainability show a bright future for foreign aid and sustainability in Africa.
At the 2015 Paris Summit on climate change, global leaders made important resolutions for the future of sustainability. Most importantly, developed countries made a commitment to assisting underdeveloped countries to strive economically using sustainable methods. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (CCES), one of the nine biggest resolutions of the summit is the commitment to raising US $100 billion in support per year by 2020. Countries like China set even higher goals for themselves by promising to deliver US $3.1 billion and peak their carbon emissions by 2030. The numerous commitments of big economies to supporting developing countries show a potential flow of aid that can create new economic development with environmentally sustainable strategies. Such commitment alongside the report
Though the resolutions show that China might remain the top donor in foreign aid for the next two decades, their commitment to cutting carbon emissions gives hope that their aid will also promote environmental sustainability. However, one must acknowledge that this aid will be more beneficial if it focuses on transferring technical skills and material assistance since any other method might trap African countries in the circle of corruption again. Even with such reform, African countries still play a big role and holding themselves accountable for environmental sustainability while making long term projects. For instance, Senegal has already set the example by making most of its projects that are part of the Plan Senegal Emergent use clean energy only. The new Blaise Diagne Airport for instance intends to run solely on solar energy. Hopefully, the same sustainable approaches will be used with the extractions of oil that will be taking place soon in Senegal due to the discovery of new oil reservoirs on the Coast of the country.
Blaise Diagne Airport
In conclusion, with the reforms taking place in aid assistance, we can stay optimistic about the future of environmental sustainability in African countries. Also, African countries like Senegal and Morocco have started holding themselves accountable by prioritizing environmental sustainability while establishing large infrastructure projects. Although the results might take more than two decades to be visible, there is still hope that they will ultimately take place.
