Mining governance and resource inequality in the Central African Copperbelt

Kristian Kastner Warpinski, Fabien Mayani and Barbara J. Smith

Chapter 9 in Elgar Companion on Inequality and Natural Resources, 2026, pp 186-202 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia is one of the most mineral-rich regions on earth, yet the local communities are among the poorest. Rather than being leveraged to induce sustainable local development, these resources are extracted and exported without a significant benefit for local communities. Political factors contributing to this challenge in the region include weak legal and regulatory frameworks, a lack of effective policies, and corruption. Although efforts to implement extractive industries governance (EIG) have enhanced accountability and transparency in the sector, the growing competition for access to the region's critical minerals to address climate change heightens the importance of managing both revenues and resources effectively. This chapter provides an overview of the social, economic, and environmental effects of extraction in the Copperbelt and the impact of political factors, many rooted in the two countries’ distinct colonial legacies, in exacerbating resource inequality.

Keywords: Mining governance; Inequality; Copperbelt; Civil society; Environmental and social (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035327362
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