Global Energy Corridors Linked to Forced Displacement of 5 Million People

Approximately 5 million people have been forcibly displaced over the last two decades in regions hosting major energy projects, according to documentation from international research centers. Experts identified three primary mechanisms used to drive demographic shifts around energy corridors: the use of economic pressure to eliminate investment opportunities, the application of low-valuation expropriation laws, and the restriction of essential environmental services. Significant displacements have been recorded across several global projects, including the Uganda-Tanzania crude oil pipeline, the LAPSSET corridor in Kenya, and projects in Myanmar's Rakhine region. In Mexico, the Maya train project reportedly forced indigenous populations to migrate through the manipulation of water resources. Similar patterns of population engineering have been observed in the South Caucasus regarding the Zangezur corridor, in northeastern Syria, and along the Development Road route extending from Basra to Nineveh in Iraq. Analysts warn that creating artificial demographic balances does not ensure sustainable security. They emphasize that local communities must be integrated as development partners to ensure project stability.