Blake Alexander Simmons, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University

Kevin P. Gallagher, Director, Boston University Global Development Policy Center

Rapid coastal development presents substantial risks to marine habitats, biodiversity and coastal communities dependent upon vital marine ecosystem services. Noting that China is now the world’s largest bilateral creditor of overseas development finance, Blake Alexander Simmons, Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University, will present a new study investigating the extent to which coastal development projects financed by Chinese development finance institutions present both direct and indirect risks to marine habitats, threatened species, marine protected areas and coastal Indigenous communities. Simmons will discuss where risks are greatest and how this knowledge can be used to create an agenda for “blue-ing” China’s overseas development finance portfolio.

Join us on Wednesday, May 18, for a discussion on mapping the risks of China’s global coastal development to marine socio-ecological systems. This webinar is part of the Spring 2022 Global China Research Colloquium.