Former Gabon minister Lee White warns of risk of water wars in Africa — Daily Maverick
Former Gabonese Minister of Water Resources, Forests, the Environment and Oceans Lee White said that deforestation in the Congo Basin could disrupt the water cycle across much of Africa and trigger conflicts over water. In his view, the region’s tropical forests are the “heart that pumps water” for the continent, as they generate major flows of atmospheric moisture that are important for agriculture from the Sahel to the Ethiopian Highlands.
As Daily Maverick reports, White believes that the loss of Congo Basin forests through deforestation could call into question the viability of the African continent. He predicts that such a scenario could lead to wars over water resources and create 500 million water refugees.
Forest sector reforms
White arrived in Gabon in early 1989 to work on his doctoral research in forestry and wildlife conservation. He later worked as a scientist and conservationist, headed the National Parks Agency, and became a minister in 2019. According to him, he persuaded then-president Omar Bongo to establish a network of 13 national parks.
While heading the parks agency, White also investigated illegal logging. He claims that an inspection conducted jointly with the Environmental Investigation Agency uncovered corruption in the approval of forest management plans: companies allegedly submitted fabricated data and maps, while certain inspectors approved them. According to Daily Maverick, the investigation led to arrests and a political scandal, after which Gabon’s vice president and forestry minister were dismissed.
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As minister, White sought to increase the share of timber processing carried out in the country. According to him, thanks to the development of higher-value-added production, Gabon’s forestry industry grew from $200 million to $1 billion a year, while the number of direct jobs nearly tripled to 35,000.
Criticism of the carbon market
The former minister also criticized the international carbon market. According to him, Gabon registered emissions reductions of 187 million tonnes with the UN, but the international community paid $17 million for only 3.4 million tonnes. White said that the current system does not provide fair compensation to countries that preserve forests.
He also said that during COP26 in Glasgow, where he was Africa’s chief negotiator, disputes over climate agreements nearly escalated into a fight with US representative John Kerry and European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.
