"China’s Belt and Road must adapt to survive a hotter world", Dialogue Earth, 18 Feb 2026

[...] China has allocated around USD 1 trillion in loans and investments to BRI projects [...] the BRI is unfolding in some of the world’s most heat-vulnerable regions, spanning Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.

Such pressures raise a critical question: Can China’s BRI remain financially and operationally sustainable under intensifying heat stress? [...].

Take the Thar Desert in south-eastern Pakistan [...].

In 2014, the Engro Thar coal power project (Thar-II) was launched to help alleviate Pakistan’s chronic energy shortages. This cornerstone of the BRI’s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was completed five years later, but now faces a future increasingly imperilled by rising temperatures.

[...] adjusted shifts, cooling infrastructure, hydration protocols – are the minimum required to keep operations running. But they add cost, and if temperatures continue to climb, they raise hard questions about the long-term financial viability of coal mining in one of the hottest places on Earth.

The Thar coal power project serves as an urgent reminder that infrastructure built today must be resilient enough for the climate of tomorrow. By embracing green technologies, strengthening adaptive infrastructure, and reforming unsustainable practices, the BRI has an opportunity to not only survive climate risks, but to lead the way toward a more resilient and equitable future.