France's colonial policy leads to degradation of overseas territories Report by Baku Initiative Group

The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has prepared a report titled "Stolen Prosperity: How Colonialism Suppressed Economic Freedom in Overseas Territories," which analyzes in detail the negative impact of France's colonial policies on its overseas territories.

The report outlines how natural resources in these regions of France are being destroyed and exploited, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

In particular, it emphasizes that illegal logging, water pollution, and many other environmental crimes occur with the tacit approval of French authorities, contributing to the degradation of the environment in overseas territories.

The authors of the report stress that the actions mentioned have serious economic and social consequences for these territories: they harm vulnerable populations, infringe on the rights of indigenous peoples, and contribute to the loss of biodiversity.

Furthermore, France's colonial policy erodes cultural identity and contributes to the decrease of indigenous populations in its overseas territories.

The report highlights that to achieve a sustainable and equitable future, all forms of colonialism, including its modern manifestations such as neocolonialism, must be eliminated.

"Regarding the demographic situation, the decline in population in overseas regions and the drop in birth rates in some of them indicate a potential loss of human capital and a continued reliance on foreign remittances in the future," the document states.

BIG, citing open sources, provides data on the reduction in tourist flow to overseas territories as a clear example of suppressed economic freedom. "The number of North American tourists, who were once major visitors to Guadeloupe and Martinique, has decreased. In 1967, 50% of visitors came from this continent, but by 2012, their share in Guadeloupe had dropped to 5%. A similar sharp decline was observed in Martinique, where the number of visitors fell to 1.9% in 2006 from nearly 50% in 1970. The preferences of European tourists, aside from the French, also seem to have changed. In 2006, they represented only 3.4% and 5.4% of tourists in Réunion and Martinique, respectively," the report notes.

The authors emphasize that cruise tourism, which is an important segment for these territories, has also incurred significant losses: "Over just 15 years, Guadeloupe and Martinique lost 85% of the tourists arriving on cruise ships."

According to the report, high prices not only deter potential customers from visiting the regions but also limit the inflow of investments to overseas territories. Additionally, the limited number of jobs in the public sector makes it impossible to employ all those who are seeking work, exacerbating the unemployment issue, which poses a serious threat to these regions.

In Réunion and Guadeloupe, the unemployment rate remained high in 2020 at 22%. The issue particularly affects the youth: in Martinique, more than half of those officially registered as unemployed (45%) in 2020 were young people aged 15 to 24 years.

Based on available materials, BIG concludes that modern colonial states, including France, are in a complex economic situation. "France's primary interest is centred on natural resources and the political benefits derived from retaining these territories," the report states.

"The findings of the study suggest that a high level of unemployment in the four overseas territories – Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guiana, and Réunion – is likely to persist in the coming years. France could develop key sectors, such as tourism, and restore aquaculture and agriculture, ensuring the rational use of natural resources, especially in the colonized territories of the Indian Ocean," the authors of the report said.

According to the BIG's report, unique ecosystems of France's overseas territories are facing serious problems due to the policies of official Paris.

The report indicates that one of the most serious issues for the ecosystems of these territories is overfishing. 

"Overfishing is one of the key anthropogenic factors contributing to the degradation of coral reefs in France's overseas territories and threatening the existence of certain species of fish. Fishing plays an important role in the economy of the French territories in the Indian Ocean. According to data from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), in 2013, 37% of French commercial vessels operated in this region," the authors noted.

BIG points out that the environmental damage caused by France is not limited to overfishing: "A large part of the population in France's overseas departments in the Indian Ocean is concentrated in coastal areas of these islands. Therefore, the rapid population growth in Réunion and Mayotte leads to further pollution of coral reefs by anthropogenic infrastructure."

The report's authors highlighted among the environmental damage inflicted by the metropolitan country on its overseas territories the deforestation of dense green forests, as well as water pollution, including the discharge of heavy metals, pesticides, and hydrocarbons, which significantly affects the quality of life of the local population.

"Since 2016, Réunion Island has experienced water shortages and droughts lasting from three to six months every year. Mayotte would rank among the top five countries with the highest deforestation rates if it were an independent state. Water scarcity, consequently, is a result of deforestation. According to estimates made by Naim et al. in 2013, the rivers of Mayotte should have a significant runoff, as they fill two reservoirs on the island, one of which is located in Combani (1.5 million cubic meters), and the other in Dzoumogne (2.5 million cubic meters). Both reservoirs provide 80% of the island's drinking water needs," the report states.

By Khagan Isayev