Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project Essay

The case of constructing Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project has intensified the problem of poverty in these underdeveloped countries of Africa. This project was supported by noble missions of improving the life of these poor countries. But as it has found out later this project is not advantageous for Cameroon and Chad. This project has caused a lot of environmental and social problems but these problems don’t bother Americans who make millions from this project. Both Cameroons and Chadians don’t benefit from this project as it has been promised by the organizers.

This $4.2 billion project with a 650-mile pipeline which carries oil from Chad to Cameroon attracted the attention of the whole world as a bright example of fighting with poverty. When the stir was abated, the fates of African people were forgotten by the organizers of this project and the promises were not redeemed.

Cameroons consider this project to be disastrous for their life. It pollutes the environment and it goes hundreds of miles through the forest contaminating the local flora and fauna and fields of corps which are one of the main incomes for local citizens. More than that, a reef where the fish lived was destroyed and as the result the fish are gone now. There is the noise from oil tankers which disturbs the local inhabitants. This pipeline reduced the standard of living as far as 80% of the villagers depend on fishing. As the result, the pipeline completely impoverished the village despite many advantages promised at the beginning of the construction.

Although Cameroon and Chad were promised to have profits from this project, they got only transit fees which were insignificant comparing to the income of Americans from this project. According to the income of 2008 the total oil sales were amounted to $4,4 billion and Cameroon’s share was only $20 million. This money is not enough to compensate all the damages caused by the project.

This project was built under the slogan “Alleviate Poverty” which didn’t justify hopes of the local citizens. People observe the typical situation when rich countries become richer using the resources of the poor ones and the poor countries become poorer pinning their hopes on high missions of developed countries in vain.

Ragnar Nurkse points out that poor countries remain poor because of “a vicious circle of poverty”. According to his balanced growth theory the government of underdeveloped countries should make investments in various industries simultaneously to improve the economic situation of their country. Both industrial and economic sectors should be involved in this process. In the case with Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project, the countries staked only on this project which has appeared to be unprofitable and has made the countries poorer. More than that, in these African countries the government pays more attention to the agricultural development which feeds the country and in the case with the Pipeline Project which has destroyed in some ways the agricultural sector has left these African countries behind. Arthur Lewis pays attention to the economy in the developed countries in his theory. He provides the model when ‘capitalist’ developed countries take labor and sources from non-capitalist underdeveloped ones. In this case the capitalist sector is developed without the necessity to raise the wages. American government uses the sources of Africa under the lee of great missions.

Chad and Cameroon have staked on the foreign industrial projects and had a failure comparing to the another example of underdeveloped country which attracts our attention namely the underdeveloped country of the Central America, Costa Rica, which has found out the solution of the poverty in the development of their educational system. Costa Rica is considered to be one of the happiest countries in the world. The happiness of the local citizens depends on the pure environment and long life span. Costa Rica has done a lot of projects preserving nature which makes easier to be happy enjoying the surrounding sceneries and breathing a pure air. The life of Ponchita, the citizen of Costa Rica, who is 100 years old and who leads an active and happy life testifies to the fact that this country is one of the happiest in the world. This old woman can clear shrubs and chop wood despite her age and she is almost self-sufficient. She proves that the health and right outlook help live better and longer. Although, she lives poorly she does not complain about her life. It is the case when poor people are really rich.

The main reasons of happiness are the abolishment of the army in 1949 and investments in the sphere of education. The improvement of educational system has had more effectiveness which created more stable society than the development of artillery. Education is a better investment than the armed forces. Education has helped to develop the economy providing valuable products to other countries including computer chips and English language skills has increased the development of eco-tourism in this country. The country which pays more attention to the environment protection and the development of educational system is more likely to be developed than those ones which hope on the foreign industrial projects. It is better to develop the own economical system aimed at the development of both agricultural and industrial centers than to hope on the incomes from the foreign projects which use the resources of underdeveloped countries in an impertinent way. More than that, the increasing of the educational level in Costa Rica has promoted the gender equality which makes the women involved in the development of the economy. The rise of education also helps to preserve the lush environment of Costa Rica. Costa Rica is the only country in the Central America which is popular for the migrations from the USA. This country attracts a lot of Americans to spend their time close to nature. The model of the prosperity of Costa Rica is a good example to other countries which may invest in the education rather than in the armed forces.

These two examples demonstrate two models of development oriented towards different spheres. Cameroon and Chad has chosen Lewis’s model of development when rich countries become richer using the resources and cheap labor forces of poor countries making them believe in their high missions. Cameroon and Chad have hoped to make profits donating their local nature and as the result they regret for such decision and they are not able to improve the situation and avoid all the consequences. On the contrary, Costa Rica uses another model of development paying more attention to the environment protection and the development of the educational system and has better results. As we can see a happy life of people in Costa Rica is contrasted to those miserable citizens of Cameroon and Chad whose expectations have been confounded.