Welcome to the first edition of China-Africa Q&A, a new podcast series that will feature interviews with key stakeholders in the China-Africa discourse. We’ll publish these podcasts intermittently and, as always, welcome your feedback.
In this edition, Eric speaks with Climate Home News Senior Writer, Chloé Farand, about her recent story on Niger’s decision to redraw the boundaries of the Termit and Tin-Toumma nature reserve, one of Africa’s largest biodiversity reserves, to accommodate the China National Petroleum Corporation who owns three oil exploration blocks that overlap with the reserve.
Under the proposed change, the portions of the reserve that cross over into CNPC’s oil exploration zone will no receive protected status.
While the story got quite a bit of attention this summer in the francophone press, there’s wasn’t as much interest in English-language media.
Eric spoke with Chloe from her office in London to find out more about how she came across the story and why she thinks it didn’t get the same amount of attention internationally that it did in French-language media.
Show Notes:
- Climate Home News: Niger shrinks major biodiversity reserve to allow Chinese oil exploration by Chloé Farand
- Online Petition: “We demand the reclassification of Africa’s largest Nature Reserve“
- Radio France International: Niger shrinks major reserve to allow for Chinese oil
Chloé Farand is Climate Home News’ senior reporter. Her work has appeared in national publications including the Guardian, the Independent, the i paper and the BBC. Before joining Climate Home News, she worked for the investigative environmental outlet DeSmog UK and contributed to Business Green. Born in Paris, Chloé now lives in London.
