Technology Appropriation Impact of a new road on the Bagyeli of Bibera

New developments keep arising every day which have got different impacts on the lives of people who live in the area where there is new development. The introduction of a new road in Bibera on the pygmies, Bagyeli varies from the economic impacts, social and even political impacts. Roads are known to open up areas for more development activities and cause a lot of changes in how people live and what economic activities which they do. The introduction of a new road which is built for the deepsea harbour located in Cameroon has had and is still having various impacts on the lives of the Bagyeli. There has been a lot of transformation within the Bagyeli community which include economic, social and political situation in the region. Apart from bringing positive changes to the Bagyeli community, the construction of the new road has also brought some negative impacts on the community.

Negative transformations of the new road

Timber exploitation

          The introduction and construction of a new road in Bibera has brought a lot of timber exploitation in the area which has resulted in a lot of trees being cut down. Constructing the road meant that there was way through which timber could be transported from the area. This brought a lot of people who have since engaged in timber exploitation (Dimitris, 2012, p.271). Cutting down of the trees for timber without replacing them by planting new ones have contributed greatly to the destruction of the environment hence climatic change in the area. From the field report, it is indicated that a lot of timber exploitation activities continue to take place in the area which has caused negative impact on the environment (Ford, 2014, p.54).

The exploitation of timber in the area meant that the people who lived in the area had t0o be moved and resettled in some other place (Styan, 2014, p.22). This caused a change in their lifestyles and has since placed them under hard conditions. The exploitation of timber has also resulted in disruption of the natural habitat of animals that lived in the area. This has destroyed the area and caused it to become an eye-sore due to the cutting of the trees without replacing them.

Ore Exploitation

          The construction of the new road in the area where the Bagyeli people lived also brought about the discovery of ore in the area. The new road has given access to the area and a lot of ore exploitation and exploration has taken place and had some effect on the people as well as the environment (Ford, 2014, p.54). The discovery6 of ore in the area as a result of the new road constructed meant that the people had to be removed from the area (Penny & Hannah, 2012, p.521). The dispersal of the people meant that their lives were disrupted since they had to move. This has since resulted in a lot of hardships faced by the community since they can no longer exercise their way of life of hunting and gathering as they did on the past.

The ore exploitation meant that the Bagyeli had to change their lifestyle and their economic activities since the hunting and gathering could no longer sustain them properly (Styan, 2014, p.22). Ore exploitation in the area has also resulted in the destruction of the environmental conditions in the area. This is due to the increase in ar5eas left on the surface of the earth which are not pleasant to the eye as well as risky. A lot of craters and trenches have been left open in the area which has caused irreversible destruction of the environment. This also continues to pose a threat to the lives of people who may still be living nearby.

Increase in waste

          In areas where there is any form of exploitation of natural resources taking place, there is always the likelihood of having a lot of waste in the area. The construction of a new road in the area of Bibera where the Bagyeli community lived brought the exploitation of ore and timber in the area (Coghlan, 2014, p.8). The natural condition of the area became disrupted and a lot of waste has plied in the area over the years since the beginning of the exploitation activities (Styan, 2014, p.22). The exploitations of timber and ore have caused a lot of waste to be left in the area hence becoming a health hazard to the Bagyeli people who live around the place. There has been poor disposal of waste in the area by the companies and people who engage in the exploitation activities hence spoiling the natural habitat in the area (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2007, p.151).

Increased noise pollution

          The construction of a new road in the area of Bibera where the Bagyeli lived have resulted in a lot of pollution which is as a result of the timber, ore exploitations and the constructions that are taking place at the harbour. From the field report provided on the lives of the Bagyeli, the road was constructed to create access to the harbour (Styan, 2014, p.22). The construction of the harbour which takes place 24/7 has been a source of noise pollution in the area and has continued to bother the people in the area. The noise is quite considerable during the day but during the night, people are not able to have a good-night sleep due to the noise (Sawyer, and Edmund, 2012, p.220). This is a disruption to the lives of the people living in this area. Furthermore, the noise pollution resulting from the construction at the harbour has contributed to the running away of animals in the area (Versi,, 2014, p.11). This means that the Bagyeli people are faced with a lot of difficulties since there are no animals for them to hunt given that the Bagyeli are hunters and gathers that rely on animals for survival. This shows that the construction of a new road within the area has had some great negative impacts on the lives of the Bagyeli.

Increased risks involving accidents

          Roads which are constructed in Africa are always associated with high risks due to the occurrences of accidents from time to time. The construction of a new road in Bibera means that the Bagyeli community is faced with more risks on terms of vehicle accidents (Kabukuru, 2009, p.34). This is due to the reason that the road is being used and will continue to be used by vehicles going to the harbor vas well as those that are involved in the exploitation of the natural resources in the area (Dimitris, 2012, p.273). The Bagyeli community who are still living within the area will need to be careful while carrying on with their life since there will be different users of the road hence the risks of accidents occurring.

Increased population and cultural change

          Construction of roads in any region or area always opens up the area for access by other people from different regions. Availability of roads means that people are able to access the place easily (Sawyer, and Edmund, 2012, p.220). Due to this reason, the population within the region is likely to increase because most people will come to look for employment at the harbour as well as the exploitation sites (Bruijn, and Rijk van Dijk, 2012, p.15-20). An increase in the population will mean that there will be diversity in terms of culture within the area. There will be a lot of culture mix which may face the Bagyeli community to shift their standing in terms of their culture. Cultural change is expected to take place due to the increase in the population of the region.

Positive transformations

          Research on the impact of roads in Africa has shown that there are mixed reactions to the construction of roads and different impacts. The positive impacts which are attributed to roads and some of which the new road in Bibera area would have on the lives of the Bagyeli include:

Job opportunities

          The new road constructed in the area has meant that the area has been opened up for exploitation such as in the case of timber and ore exploitation as well as the construction of the new harbour. This means that the Bagyeli may have an opportunity of getting employment and offer cheap labour hence leave their way of life that involves hunting and gathering (Ford, 2014, p.54). The harbour that is being constructed in the area will also offer employment for the Bagyeli although this will take a lot of efforts since they are not used to employed labour. The Bagyeli people will have places where they can get an income which will sustain them instead of relying on hunting and gathering as a way of life

Improved economic status

          The economic status of the Bagyeli before the construction of the new road which led to the harbour was not developed as other regions. With the introduction of the new road which has resulted in various economic activities in the area, the economic status and situation of the Bagyeli is expected to take a turn for the better. This is based on the reason that roads help to open up new markets where different investors can p0ut their money (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 2007, p.151). The area will generate a lot of cash with the construction of the harbour hence the economic status of the Bagyeli may improve (Dimitris, 2012, p.271). The economic status of the Bagyeli people will improve due to the reason that they will be able to obtain an income from the economic activities which will be taking place in the area in terms of the exploitations and the harbour which is being constructed.

Conclusion

          Roads have become great investments which governments have made across the globe. The impacts that roads have on the lives of residents living in a certain area includes positive and negative impacts depending on the usage of the roads. Roads have impacted on the economic, social and political lives of people living in any given region such as the Bagyeli community. For the Bagyeli to realize the total benefits of the road constructed, the government needs to ensure that they are properly informed and necessary arrangements made for them to have another place to live. There is also need for control on the exploitation activities in the area which may end up having negative impact on the lives of the residents.

References

Bruijn, Mirjam de, and Rijk van Dijk. 2012. The social life of connectivity in Africa. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. P.15-20

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Dimitris Dalakoglou (2012): ‘The Road from Capitalism to Capitalism’: Infrastructures of (Post)Socialism in Albania, Mobilities, 7:4, 571-586

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Penny Harvey & Hannah Knox (2012): The Enchantments of Infrastructure, Mobilities, 7:4, 521-536

Sawyer, Suzana, and Edmund Terence Gomez. The Politics of Resource Extraction Indigenous Peoples, Multinational Corporations, and the State. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. <http://www.palgraveconnect.com/doifinder/10.1057/9780230368798>. P.220

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United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Transnational Corporations, Extractive Industries and Development. New York: United Nations, 2007. P.151

Versi, Anver. “The carnage on our roads must end.” African Business, April 2014., 11, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed July 25, 2014).