For over a century, plans to transfer the Congo into a powerhouse for electricity production have hovered over the feeble nation like a black cloud. Under the Grand Inga Scheme, the lower Congo River would be diverted through Bundi Valley and a series of electricity generators, before returning to its natural course. Since the Congo’s Mouth links with the deep ocean, it serves as an important source of oxygen in the eastern equatorial Atlantic. Any disruptions in this flow of energy could be globally detrimental. Despite the environmental consequences, the plan has been kept alive by electricity generation companies who see the Congo’s energy potential has nothing more than a commodity. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is an impoverished country plagued by corruption. The UN has offered the idea of a Green Economy that is said to result in rapid growth and poverty eradication. However, it seems as if the instability of the DRC is only an excuse that is being used to mask the true intensions of power hungry nations.
Sources:
John Muchangi “Africa: Green Economy Key to African Growth, Says UN,” 7 February, 2011, http://allafrica.com/stories/201102230708.html.
Kate B. Showers, “Congo River’s Grand Inga Hydroelectricity Scheme: Linking Environmental History, Policy and Impact,” 1 July, 2009, Springer Science+Business Media.
Terri Hathaway “Congo’s Inga, Great Power for Whom?” 1 August, 2006, http://www.internationalrivers.org/en/africa/grand-inga-dam-dr-congo/congo-s-inga-great-power-whom.
Student Researchers:
Amanda Galster, John Powers, Cieara Moore, and Raymond Potter (Niagara University)
Faculty Evaluator: Dr. Brian Murphy (Niagara University)