Linking large extractive industries to sustainable development of rural communities at mining sites in Africa: Challenges and pathways

Abstract

Even though large-scale extractive industries contribute significantly to revenues in mineral-rich African countries, little is known about their effectiveness, and better approaches could align their contribution to the sustainable development of local communities and the environment around their mining sites. This study critically reviews the literature on large-scale extractive investments in Africa published between 2000 and 2022 to understand their current contribution, challenges, and approaches used to support community development and then proposes new pathways for better engagement. Findings show that the offer of large extractive industries to communities is still low, and some are declining over time as technology advances. In many mineral-rich African countries, the government's plans to develop local value and diversify economic sources around mining sites have been ignored or excluded livelihoods for many years and must change. Collaboration, policy coherence, sustainable investment, and diversification of rural economic sources are proposed as pathways that provide the necessary bridge to link extractive industry actors to the sustainable development of surrounding rural communities. For this to happen, the efforts of the African countries and related stakeholders are needed to help local communities to achieve some basic SDGs such as increasing affordable energy (SDG 7), micro-industries, and innovation (SDG 9), diverse employment (SDG 8), improving knowledge to bring local solutions, and creating self-sustaining mining systems (SDG 4). The mining companies must also maintain health and safety of community during and after mining by protecting their land (SDG 15), water quality (SDG 6), life below the earth's surface (SDG 14), climate change (SDG 13), and peace and justice (SDG 16).