Impact of mining projects on water and sanitation infrastructures and associated child health outcomes: a multi-country analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Access to improved water and sanitation infrastructures are key determinants of health. The sub-Saharan African region in particular is lagging behind the ambitious goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to ensure universal access to improved and reliable water and sanitation for all (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6). Large mining projects can promote economic growth and hence investments in water and sanitation infrastructures, but at the same time lead to rapid population growth and environmental degradation. In turn, these changes can pose risks and opportunities for child health (SDG 3). In this study we aim to quantify the impacts of mining projects on access to water and sanitation infrastructure as well as diarrhea and malnutrition among children using data from 131 Demographic and Health Surveys from sub-Saharan Africa. RESULTS: From a sample of around 1.2 million households, data within the proximity of 52 mine-panels were selected for longitudinal analyses, resulting in 41,896 households and 32,112 children. Improvements in access to modern water and sanitation infrastructures after mine opening were much larger in households near mining sites than in comparison areas located further away (adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) water: 18.60, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 13.08-26.46 and aRRR sanitation: 2.56, 95 % CI: 1.32-4.99). However, these associations were weaker among poorer households. In areas close to the mining sites, stunting and underweight prevalence decreased more strongly upon mine opening (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) stunting: 0.62, 95 % CI: 0.43-0.90; aOR underweight: 0.55, 95 % CI: 0.36-0.84). No differential changes were seen for wasting and diarrhea. Large impact heterogeneity was observed both within and across countries. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the opening of mines is associated with improvements in access to modern water and sanitation infrastructures (SDG 6) as well as in some health outcomes (SDG 3). However, the large impact heterogeneity suggests that the assessment and management of mining-related impacts on communities should have an increased equity-focus, in order to "leave no one behind" in the work towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Overall, the findings of this study underscore that the resource extraction sector has the potential to make positive and substantial contributions towards achieving the SDGs.

Making the business case for resource recovery.

People altered the biophysical environment upon which they depend through the overexploitation of resources and growing waste generation. Action is urgently needed to return the resource economy within planetary boundaries and safeguard human well-being, by realising an increasingly closed-loop system that maintains values of materials and products within a sustainable circular economy. Innovative technologies and business models must be developed and implemented, requiring convincing "business cases" for industry and government; why should they be interested in adopting circular, resource recovery practices? Despite multi-dimensional challenges facing people and their environment, and the ability of resource recovery to contribute to restoring environment, society and economy, arguments for circular practices are often overly focused on economic aspects. Economic growth is not a panacea and this article supports the preparation of better arguments by presenting expert insights on 37 themes to consider for a resource recovery business case. The most important themes cover 1) Economic, social, environmental and technical value of resources and 2) Regulatory change; focusing business cases on these is likely to deliver positive impacts regarding all identified themes. The article synthesises the old "growth will solve it-" with a new "multi-dimensional challenges and solutions" paradigm, suggesting that resource recovery should support multi-dimensional growth to partly redistribute economic benefits to social and environmental values through the preservation of technical, functional value of materials and products. Writing successful business cases for resource recovery requires inter-disciplinary collaboration, and sustained effort to complete and translate business cases into measurable impacts through changed practices outside academia.