A Comprehensive Accounting of Construction Materials in Belt and Road Initiative Projects.

ABSTRACT: The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) stands as the most ambitious infrastructure project in history, marked by its scale of investment, extensive geographical reach across continents and countries, and a diverse array of projects from roads to digital networks. While the BRI's environmental sustainability has raised concerns, the impacts of construction materials used in these projects have been overlooked, especially in developing countries. Here, we map and account for the materials embodied in the BRI by integrating, for the first time, official governmental project reports, geographical information, and material flow analysis. We pinpoint and analyze the BRI material stocks in each individual project by material types, countries, regions, and sectors. Between 2008 and 2023, 328 million t

SUBMITTER: Hou L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11375774 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature