-Ryan Heslin
The Nicaraguan canal project has raised concerns in many different political and social spheres due to its uncharacteristically fast momentum and questionable backers. The project, proposed by the Hong Kong Nicaragua Development Group (HKND), was rushed through the Nicaraguan Political Assembly by President Daniel Ortega before it could be seriously considered by Nicaraguan society (1). The project overlooks concerns from politicians, economists, activists, environmentalists and many others such as local farmers who could be evicted from their property as well as local native tribes who could be forced to relocate off their land. These farmers and natives tribes would be recompensed for their property, but would not be granted any additional land to re-locate to. Normally this would be a violation of the Nicaraguan constitution, but the Nicaraguan government has granted a concession to HKND to overlook this violation and any others that it may commit in the process of finishing the project.
The US government has expressed interest in investing in the project only if Nicaragua provides complete transparency and legal certainty for the involved contracts. This requirement may be due to past confiscation of US property, and the failure of Nicaragua’s government to resolve subsequent claim disputes, during and after the Nicaraguan civil war (2). Also worth noting is that the HKND has no concrete civil engineering experience, a fact that creates doubt in the minds of potential US investors. Interestingly enough, despite the rumor that the HKND has ties to the Chinese government, the US congress has displayed very little interest in how the group influences the Nicaraguan government (2). This lack of intervention in Latin American economic and political affairs shows a complete departure from the previous Monroe Doctrine-era politics for the United States.
With these complex socio-economic and political factors in play, the environmental aspect of the project can be easily overlooked. Due to the speed of the concession being passed in the Political Assembly, no environmental impact survey was conducted and taken into consideration. According to Jorge A. Huete-Perez, director of the Centro de Biologia Molecular at the Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua, the canal could potentially destroy 400,000 hectares of rain forest and wetlands (4). The construction and industrialization process of the canal would have a negative impact on the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, and the Cerro Silva Nature Reserve (4). Animals would have their habitats destroyed, valuable forests would be cut down, and crucial wetlands would be drained or filled. Lake Nicaragua also faces a serious environmental threat from planned construction since the lake is too shallow for many ships and would have to be dredged. In addition pollution and waste products from the canal lock zones would create negative health effects for native fish and plant species. This wildlife, which is already at dangerously low levels, would also be hurt by the introduction of new species and pathogens from bilge water.
As mentioned previously, the Nicaraguan Constitution has been amended to cater to the HKND agreement. This concession explicitly gives HKND the right to commandeer any land or resources they require to achieve success in the canal project; this grants them to right to ignore laws concerning private property, natural resources, and indigenous land (3). The project provides very little immediate benefit to Nicaragua as HKND has no legal obligation to hire Nicaraguan workers or use Nicaraguan companies to construct the canal. In addition HKND will choose how to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment instead of the government of Nicaragua, which may not reflect the full impact of the projects activity (4).
On one hand the fact that the US government displays little interest in the planned canal project is a positive reflection of its support for economic and political independence in Central American countries. However it may need to take a stronger stance in the debate to preserve natural resource interests in the region. The Central American region as a whole is a wealth of biodiversity and potential scientific, medical, and technological advances. If the canal project proceeds with little attention to the environmental implications, then many of these precious resources will be lost. President Ortega and the Nicaraguan government may not have the intention, interest, or capability to protect these resources and a stronger interventionist attitude by the US government may be needed. Regardless, many valuable environmental resources are at stake in this project. Without the proper attention to the actions of the HKND they will be needlessly sacrificed; and the cost of that sacrifice is simply just too high.
Further Reading:
US Embassy in Managua voicing their concerns: http://www.ibtimes.com/nicaragua-canal-project-us-embassy-expresses-worry-over-lack-transparency-1777552
An interview with the man in charge of the project: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-31936549
Works Cited:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/11/nicaragua-chinese-plan-canal-panama> 1. "Nicaragua Fast-tracks Chinese Plan to Build Canal to Rival Panama." The Guardian. 11 June 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <
2. Zuckerman, Jessica. “Nicaragua’s Canal Push and Concerns for the U.S.” The Heritage Foundation. 30 August 2013. Web 20 Mar. 2015. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/08/nicaragua-s-canal-push-and-concerns-for-the-us
3. Stuenkel, Oliver. “How the Chinese-financed Nicaragua Canal would change regional dynamics.” Post-Western World. 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www,postwesternworld.com/2015/03/08/nicaragua-regional-dynamics/>
4. Howard, Brian Clark. “Nicaraguan Canal Could Wreck Environment, Scientists Say.” National Geographic. 22 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140220-nicaraguan-canal-environment-conservation/
5. http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_52/820446/141222-nicaragua-canal-hg-2034_cce41029e20303174da33bbadb036c9e.jpg
6. http://news.co.cr/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/president-of-nicaragua-daniel-ortega.jpg
7. http://cavusite.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_5116a.jpg
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/11/nicaragua-chinese-plan-canal-panama> 1. "Nicaragua Fast-tracks Chinese Plan to Build Canal to Rival Panama." The Guardian. 11 June 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <
2. Zuckerman, Jessica. “Nicaragua’s Canal Push and Concerns for the U.S.” The Heritage Foundation. 30 August 2013. Web 20 Mar. 2015. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/08/nicaragua-s-canal-push-and-concerns-for-the-us
3. Stuenkel, Oliver. “How the Chinese-financed Nicaragua Canal would change regional dynamics.” Post-Western World. 8 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www,postwesternworld.com/2015/03/08/nicaragua-regional-dynamics/>
4. Howard, Brian Clark. “Nicaraguan Canal Could Wreck Environment, Scientists Say.” National Geographic. 22 Feb. 2014. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140220-nicaraguan-canal-environment-conservation/
5. http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_52/820446/141222-nicaragua-canal-hg-2034_cce41029e20303174da33bbadb036c9e.jpg
6. http://news.co.cr/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/president-of-nicaragua-daniel-ortega.jpg
7. http://cavusite.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/IMG_5116a.jpg