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Gold Mining and Education: A Long-run Resource Curse in Africa?

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  • Pelle Ahlerup
  • Thushyanthan Baskaran
  • Arne Bigsten

Abstract

Combining Afrobarometer survey data with geocoded data on the discovery and shutdown dates of gold mines, we show that individuals who had gold mines within their district when they were in adolescence have significantly lower educational attainment as adults. Exploring mechanisms, we find that this effect is not driven by endogenous migration, nor a higher incidence of conflicts, nor by a lower provision of schools in mining districts. While data limitations prevent us from fully exploring other channels, prior work as well as suggestive evidence point towards a higher incidence of child labour in mining district as the main mechanism.

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  • Pelle Ahlerup & Thushyanthan Baskaran & Arne Bigsten, 2020. "Gold Mining and Education: A Long-run Resource Curse in Africa?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 1745-1762, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:56:y:2020:i:9:p:1745-1762
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2019.1696959
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    3. Carrillo-Maldonado, Paul & Arias, Karla & Zanoni, Wladimir & Cruz, Zoe, 2024. "Local socioeconomic impacts of large-scale mining projects in Ecuador: The case of Fruta del Norte," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    4. Bonilla Mejía, Leonardo, 2020. "Mining and human capital accumulation: Evidence from the Colombian gold rush," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    5. Ishak, Phoebe W. & Gradstein, Mark, 2021. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Persistent Income Shocks on Human Capital," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242368, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    6. Marek Szturo & Bogdan Włodarczyk & Alberto Burchi & Ireneusz Miciuła & Karolina Szturo, 2021. "Improving Relations between a State and a Business Enterprise in the Context of Counteracting Adverse Effects of the Resource Curse," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, January.
    7. Leonardo Bonilla-Mejía, 2019. "Illegal Mining and Human Capital Accumulation: Evidence from the Colombian Gold Rush," Documentos de Trabajo Sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 17292, Banco de la República, Economía Regional.
    8. Chernor Momodu Bah & Mohamed Ouedraogo, 2022. "The Effect of Natural Resources on Economic Growth in West Africa: The Mediating Role of Human Capital Disaggregation," Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, Economics and Finance, Learning Gate, vol. 4(2), pages 27-42.
    9. Bezzola, Selina & Günther, Isabel & Brugger, Fritz & Lefoll, Erwin, 2022. "CSR and local conflicts in African mining communities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    10. Poignant, Adrian, 2023. "Small-scale mining and agriculture: Evidence from northwestern Tanzania," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    11. Sebri, Maamar & Issoufou Ahmed, Ousseini & Dachraoui, Hajer, 2023. "Public spending and the resource curse in WAEMU countries: An asymmetry analysis using the hidden cointegration and non-linear panel ARDL framework," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    12. Konte, Maty & Vincent, Rose Camille, 2021. "Mining and quality of public services: The role of local governance and decentralization," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    13. Gradstein, Mark & Ishak, Phoebe W., 2020. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Natural Resource Income Shocks on Human Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 14004, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Narantungalag, Odmaa, 2022. "The effects of natural resource extraction on household expenditure patterns: Evidence from Mongolia," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1077, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    15. Yuanyuan Zhu & Xiaoqi Zhou & Yilin Gan & Jing Chen & Ruilin Yu, 2021. "Spatio-Temporal Differentiation and Driving Mechanism of the “Resource Curse” of the Cultivated Land in Main Agricultural Production Regions: A Case Study of Jianghan Plain, Central China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-17, January.
    16. Mavisakalyan, Astghik & Minasyan, Anna, 2022. "Mining and Mistrust in Government," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1164, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    17. Roos Haer & Gudrun Østby, 2023. "Aiding education? The effect of international aid on local educational enrolment in Nigeria," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2023-103, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Dou, Shiquan & Yue, Chen & Xu, Deyi & Wei, Yi & Li, Hang, 2022. "Rethinking the “resource curse”: New evidence from nighttime light data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Mélanie Gittard & Irène Hu, 2024. "MiningLeaks Water Pollution and Child Mortality in Africa," CIRED Working Papers halshs-04685390, HAL.
    20. Acuna, Julio & Balza, Lenin H. & Gomez-Parra, Nicolas, 2024. "From wells to wealth? Government transfers and human capital," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    21. Mark Gradstein & Phoebe W. Ishak, 2024. "We Don't Need No Education: The Effect of Income Shocks on Human Capital in Africa," Working Papers 2405, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Economics.
    22. Guimbeau, Amanda & Ji, Xinde James & Menon, Nidhiya & Rodgers, Yana van der Meulen, 2023. "Mining and women’s agency: Evidence on acceptance of domestic violence and shared decision-making in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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