Work

How is China shaping Africa? The role of Chinese development projects on land cover transformation

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper investigates the impact of Chinese development projects on the change of land covering in the African continent over the years 2000-2017 by means of a new gridded dataset. The geo-referenced panel dataset matches information on Chinese development projects with satellite data on the evolution of land surface. The econometric analysis shows that Chinese development projects have played a significant role in the transformation of the African land covering, and that the Chinese intervention in Africa has had a significant impact on the transition of land covering from natural to artificial surfaces.

Source: Quality & Quantity

DOI: 10.1007/s11135-025-02072-3

Authors: Nicoló Pecora, Alessandro Spelta, Paolo Pagnottoni, Jong-Min Kim

Institutions: Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, University of Pavia, University of Insubria, University of Minnesota Morris

Language: English

Topic: Land Use and Ecosystem Services

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,090