Mining in Africa: Are Local Communities Better Off? (Africa Development Forum)

Africa s resource boom has lifted growth throughout the region, but it has been less successful in improving citizen s well-being and livelihoods. People living in Africa s resource-rich countries are 3 percent less literate, have shorter life expectancy by 4.5 years, and have higher rates of malnutrition among women and children. This slow pace of poverty reduction is frequently attributed to economic growth that is led by natural resources the so-called natural resource curse. Going beyond the aggregate impact, do communities living close to mining centers suffer from a resource curse as well?
Mining in Africa: Are Local Communities Better Off? considers how large-scale gold mining in three countries Ghana, Mali, and Tanzania affects local livelihoods and communities. The authors analysis and results conclude that, on average, mining communities experience positive yet limited welfare benefits. The study delineates three broad channels market, fiscal, and environmental through which local areas and regions may be affected. The authors apply this framework to large-scale gold mining in the three case study countries, and they use robust econometric methods to evaluate those local-level effects.
If the natural resource extraction challenge is addressed in all of its dimensions, channels for shared prosperity and improved equality can be opened up, thereby creating a better life for families and enhanced prospects for the countries in which they live. This book aims to inform public policy and corporate behavior on the welfare of communities situated close to extraction sites and the opportunities that mining can offer them.