Mining-Driven Settlement Dynamics: Evidence from the Cobalt Belt in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world despite its wealth of natural resources. Mining, whether formal or informal, is the country’s most important economic sector. Against this background, we analyze in this study whether and, if so, to what extent mining regions have led to particularly dynamic settlement dynamics between 2016 and 2023 based on remote sensing data. As a primary source, we used the growth of settlements near mines mentioned in the book "Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives" in relation to growth rates at national level. We found that within the region of the cobalt belt in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the increase in buildings which strongly correlates with the number of residents living in those places. Some example cities near mining activities yield an amount of buildings increased by over 150% and over 50% for the region of the cobalt belt. In comparison, we measure only 20 to 30% for the entire country (2016 to 2023). This indicates that mining has a large impact on the local environment, economy, and society.