Possible ecological and economic challenges for Ghana's "bauxite for infrastructure" deal

It is considered that Ghana has extensive bauxite reserves, which largely have not been developed yet. However, since the Government of Ghana entered into an infrastructure development agreement with China in 2018, attention has increasingly focused on these reserves. The repayments of the resource for infrastructure swap are to be made via the further processing of Ghana's bauxite. The government is therefore responsible for building an integrated bauxite-aluminium industry within the next few years. At the same time, bauxite mining is leading to local protests and conflicts around Atewa Forest, a possible site for mining. This article explores how the agreement, known as the SinoHydro deal, was constructed, integrating Ghana into the Belt and Road Initiative, and discusses possible ecological and economic risks for Ghana.