A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Technology, capital, and sustainability: Frontiers in just transitions for African mining
Authors: Tomassi, Oliver Daniel; Kinyondo, Abel Alfred
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Resources Policy
Journal name in source: Resources Policy
Article number: 105348
Volume: 98
ISSN: 0301-4207
eISSN: 1873-7641
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105348
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.105348
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/458401595
Transitions towards sustainability are crucial in the natural resource sector in Africa, particularly in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). This sector is notably characterized by the extensive use of mercury for gold extraction, which poses significant risks to both human health and ecosystems. This study focuses on Tanzania, where international incentives to reduce mercury have led the state to promote alternative methods and scale up production primarily through cyanide leaching—a more mechanized gold extraction technique. This article examines the implementation of these strategies, identifies the barriers hindering this transition, and explores the resulting inequalities. We employ a mixed methods approach, combining surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation. We adopt the Sustainability and Just Transitions frameworks for the Global South, arguing that applying an in-depth relational approach to the interactions between actors and technologies can illuminate the persistence of environmentally unsustainable practices within the local context. In conclusion, we advocate for international strategies aimed at the Global South to consider the how promoting the eradication of environmentally unsustainable practices can affect livelihood creation mechanisms.
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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the Ministry for Education and Culture of Finland through the global network Finland-Africa Platform for Innovation (FAPI) SDG9. The funding source was not involved in the research process.
