How green projects in the Middle East perpetuate colonial extractivism

European energy and agriculture investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) exploit local resources while exacerbating inequality and environmental harm, warns a new report produced in collaboration between MENA Fem Movement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice, and Greenpeace MENA.

The report showcases how these European investments prioritize profit over people reinforcing extractivist and neocolonial dynamics, whereby natural resources are exploited for export, benefiting foreign corporations and states while leaving local communities with environmental and economic harm. The report argues that these projects perpetuate a modern form of colonialism, while also suggesting solutions for change.

One central criticism is how global power hierarchies subordinate the interests of the Global South, including the MENA region, to those of the Global North. The MENA region, the report says, continues to rely on economic systems that deplete its resources, lock it in external debt, and exacerbate the climate crisis, in a region that is warming up twice as fast as the global average.

“We conducted this study to challenge the dominant narrative of these investments as ‘mutually beneficial’ and to advocate for policies that center local communities, economic justice, and sustainability,” Farah Galal, Gender and Economic Justice Officer at MENA Fem tells Raseef22.

With a focus on case studies from Egypt and Morocco, the report highlights how European agribusiness investments in both countries focus on export-oriented cash crops like tomatoes and citrus, which demand substantial water resources and intensify water scarcity in an already dry region.

The MENA region, the report says, continues to rely on economic systems that deplete its resources, lock it in external debt, and exacerbate the climate crisis, in a region that is warming up twice as fast as the global average.

Egypt is currently at the verge of "absolute water scarcity", as water share is currently 560 m3 annually per capita, far below the water poverty line of 1000 m3 annually per capita. Morocco is not faring much better, with water per capita currently at 606 m3. Water scarcity affects a population’s ability not just to drink, farm, and produce crops, among other economic issues, but inadequate sanitation can lead to deadly diseases.

Positioning oil and gas investments in the heart of the extractivist economic model, the report demonstrates that such neocolonial practices extend to green projects, or what is called ‘green colonialism.’ Green colonialism is “when land, water, and resources in the Global South are used for the Global North’s energy transition, often without meaningful local benefit,” Galal says, pointing out that Europe’s push for green energy projects in North Africa are “more about securing Europe’s energy needs than supporting sustainable development and a just energy transition.”

In MENA, one of the starkest examples of green colonialism the study sheds light on is the push for large-scale green hydrogen projects, primarily designed to serve European energy markets, with little benefit for local populations. There are more than 50 green hydrogen projects currently announced in Africa, most of which will be producing ammonia as an end-product for export to Europe. In November, TotalEnergies and Morocco signed an agreement to develop the Chbika green hydrogen project, with a target production of 200,000 tons of green ammonia annually aimed at European markets.

These projects require vast amounts of land and water, while failing to address domestic energy needs or provide meaningful economic opportunities for local communities. Instead, they often displace farmers and indigenous groups, exacerbating social inequalities and environmental degradation, the report argues. This is particularly risky for the decarbonisation efforts in the Global South where green hydrogen production for export can compete with power sector decarbonization and access to energy, the report stresses.

“Historical colonialism was based on direct control and occupation, while green colonialism operates through economic dependency, trade agreements, and corporate investments that extract resources under the guise of sustainability. Instead of military rule, today’s control is exerted through debt, conditional investments, and land grabs disguised as climate solutions,” Galal explains.

Green colonialism is also seen in massive solar and wind farms that prioritize exports, while communities lack basic energy access, according to Galal. “Like past colonial projects, many of today’s green initiatives exploit land and labor while reinforcing dependence on European markets and institutions for financing, technology, and infrastructure. Additionally, green colonialism leaves local economies with depleted resources and worse off in the face of climate change on top of the increased economic dependency,” she adds.

The Solutions are Already Here

In addition, the report advocates for sufficiency-based economic practices, pushing for global tax reforms and debt cancellation, and promoting local solutions. It highlights economic philosophies, grassroots initiatives, and community-centric renewable projects in the Global South, which nurture and protect both the people and the planet.

Instead of military rule, today’s control is exerted through debt, conditional investments, and land grabs disguised as climate solutions,” Galal explains.

“While [European] investments bring foreign currency, they often prioritise resource extraction and export, perpetuating dependencies and socio-environmental costs to the Global South…local communities should not receive only minimal benefits,” Hanen Keskes, Campaign Lead at Greenpeace MENA, tells Raseef22.

“The crises we face today—economic, political, and environmental—are not isolated, but deeply interconnected, rooted in extractivist practices that have persisted beyond the colonial era and continue to shape our postcolonial present,” Keskes stressed.

One finding in particular brings hope [...that]: alternatives exist,” Keskes said. She emphasized that the ultimate objective is to create a society where individuals can thrive, communities are resilient, and the environment is preserved for future generations. Greenpeace advocates for a ‘Wellbeing Economy’ model, which “prioritizes the dignity, health, happiness, and overall wellbeing of people and the planet,” and “challenges the traditional growth-centric model,” Keskes adds.

“Rather than merely focusing on making profits, calculating growth in the traditional way like GDP, and equating increased production and consumption with improved living standards, the wellbeing sufficiency model recognizes that excessive consumption is neither necessary nor desirable for quality of life. ”

While no country has fully shifted away from Western dependency and extractivist practices, one of the strongest examples of change is Bhutan. The country prioritizes Gross National Happiness (GNH) over GDP growth, focusing on sustainable development, environmental conservation, and self-reliance. It maintains strict limits on foreign investment, prioritizes renewable energy, and protects over 70% of its land as forest.

Meanwhile, Ecuador and Bolivia’s constitutions have adopted Buen Vivir (Sumac Kawsay), an Indigenous concept that prioritizes harmony with nature and community well-being over endless economic growth, challenging the extractivist model. In 2023, Ecuadorians voted to ban all oil drilling in Yasuní and mining in Chocó Andino.

Traditions from the MENA region are also included in the report as means to push back against extractivism. For example, Majlis, or community gathering spaces, have long facilitated collective decision-making and resource management in Arab cultures, while cooperatives in Morocco integrate traditional knowledge with modern economic strategies to retain local wealth and promote social equity. Similarly, commons-based governance allows communities to manage shared natural resources sustainably, ensuring they are not overexploited by external interests.

“Local knowledge is often ignored or sidelined in favor of top-down, technocratic approaches that prioritize efficiency and profit,” Keskes said. But that is not the case with Sinaweya, a growing social enterprise based in Egypt that is driven by the intention of conserving Sinai’s cultural and natural heritage.

For over 1,500 years, the Jabaliya Tribe in St Catherine have grown their mountain gardens, which supported families in times of need. The farming Bedouin community hones principles of permaculture through their ancestral knowledge.

“It was quite disheartening to find such valuable knowledge disappearing with modernity,” Dina Kafafy, Co-founder and Director of Sinaweya, tells Raseef22.

Founded in 2018, Sinaweya aims to document the knowledge of the local community, help it thrive without dependence on tourism, and bring their products to city homes.

“Sinaweya is not a commercial venture; it is not about exponential growth. We measure our success by the number of families that benefit from our work and by the curiosity and passion inspired. We produce what the land permits that year and embrace hard working farmers in our venture to reach sustainability. Sinaweya acts as a bridge between a traditional farming community and city homes seeking clean food,” says Kafafy. “We can find ways to continue these traditions and include them in the future of this region.”

“Rather than merely focusing on making profits, calculating growth in the traditional way like GDP, and equating increased production and consumption with improved living standards, the wellbeing sufficiency model recognizes that excessive consumption is neither necessary nor desirable for quality of life. ”

Keskes agrees that “community-driven models and ancestral practices which continue to thrive today, despite the lack of an enabling environment, are proof that the global structures of inequality are not as unshakable as we think they are, and that individuals and communities wield transformative power. True development is about wellbeing, self-determination and resilience, not dependence on external actors who extract more than they give back.”