Grand Inga, the world’s largest hydropower scheme, is proposed for the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of Africa’s most politically volatile and corruption-plagued countries. The massive dam is part of a greater vision by the international economic community to develop a power grid across Africa that will spur the continent's industrial economic development. But with a price tag of US$80 billion, concerns are growing that foreign companies will gain vast economic benefits from this mega-project, taking attention away from the development needs of Africa’s poor majority.
Grand Inga could produce up to 39,000 MW of electricity, over twice the power generation of Three Gorges Dam in China (!!!), and more than a third of the total electricity currently produced in Africa. While feasibility studies for Grand Inga are not yet finished, the project is already being touted as a way to "light Africa" by both companies that stand to benefit from it and governments that hope to receive power from it. Grand Inga is listed as a priority project of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and the World Energy Council.
But the lack of benefits from the existing dams to local communities, and the social and environmental problems left in their wake, are raising questions about who exactly will benefit from the expansion of large hydropower on the Congo River. If future projects do not bring benefits to those Africans most in need, it will have the double effect of making development dollars less available for projects that would better meet their needs.
ALLORA GENTE, COSA NE PENSATE?
Personalmente non mi stupisce piu' di tanto visto che l'Africa e' da tempo la spazzatura e la "ricchezza" dell'Europa e compagnia cantante. Ma io a volte mi vergogno a essere un ingegnere...madonna, ci sono certi colleghi in giro a cui la morale gliela hanno tolta entrati in universita'!
Chiaramente in queste notizie ci incappi sempre e solo per caso, mai una parola su nessun giornale, tutti zitti zitti, perche' in fondo ci fa ben comodo...o no?
