17 November 2016
Taiwan
Demographic, social and ecological impacts of China's One-Belt-One-Road
In the framework of the lecture series "East Asia Integration" at National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan, Raya Muttarak, research scholar at the World Population Program at IIASA, was invited to give a lecture on the demographic, social and ecological impacts of China's One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative. In her presentation, Muttarak will discuss the consequences of the OBOR on population dynamics with a focus on internal and international migration, and the impacts of population changes induced by the OBOR on the environment and socioeconomic outlook.
In her research at IIASA, Muttarak focuses on the intersection of social inequality, differential vulnerability and environmental change. Her research has recently been published in Science, and she is also guest editor of the latest special issue of the Vienna Yearbook of Population Research entitled "Demographic differential vulnerability to climate-related disasters". The special issue is one outcome of IIASA's "Forecasting Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change" project, that examines societies' capacity to develop the most effective long-term defense against the dangers of climate change by strengthening human capacity - primarily through education.
Presentation Abstract
China’s One-Belt-One-Road strategy and its implications on population dynamics and socio-ecological impacts along the Belt and Road countries
This lecture addresses the demographic, social and ecological impacts of China's One-Belt-One-Road (OBOR) initiative put forward by the Chinese government in 2013. This initiative was followed by the the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank with a main focus on large scale of investment in infrastructure, improved transportation and communication facilities, economic collaborations, educational and cultural exchanges across countries and regions along the land based Silk Road Economic Belt on Eurasian continent and the oceangoing Maritime Silk Road covering in total 65 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. No doubt, the flows of financial resources, materials, information and population have already occurred and will increasingly affect population dynamics in Asia. In addition to the anticipated large increase in international migration, the OBOR initiative will also enhance internal migration and promote urban expansion, which in turn contribute to the changes in fertility and mortality transitions in the countries involved. Meanwhile, the increasing migration and urbanization may also lead to changes in exposure, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of population to climate extremes, especially because new settlement, industrial, residential and commercial development often occur along the low-lying coastal cities. This talk focuses on 1) exploring the consequences of the OBOR on population dynamics with a focus on internal and international migration; and 2) investigating the impacts of population changes induced by the OBOR on the environment and socioeconomic outlook.
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