PGP Research Team: Implications of critical raw mineral mining on frontier communities in Zambia: exploring ethical, societal and ecological dimensions
The objective of this research group is to explore how Germany can develop long-standing, trust-based partnerships with a select country in Sub-Saharan Africa to help secure a steady supply of CRMs. For this, the research group will focus on exploring the ethical, societal, and ecological implications of mining at micro (local, community level) and meso scales (governance, regional government, national government) in the case country, Zambia, selecting two metal mining streams: copper and nickel. Using the lens of just transition, this research will explore what a just transition would mean for people in mining communities, especially when they themselves struggle with energy poverty and limited electrification.
Projektleitung:
Aparajita Banerjee
Projektteam:
- Dehnicke, Justus (International Development Studies)
- Fritz, Emely (Regional Science / Spatial Planning)
- Lambertz, Joshua (Pedagogy & Management in Social Work)
- Miehle-Honecker, Sarah (Global Studies)
- Neumann-Wengler, Selina (International Affairs)
- Strenkert, Anna (Environmental Studies & Sustainability Science)
Zeitrahmen:
2026 - 2027
/
Laufend
Projektbeschreibung
Country and Research Sites
Field research will be conducted in Zambia, a country with a long tradition in mining. The study will compare two mining cases and their impacts on society, the economy, and the region's ecology. In the first site, the study of this case will explore the implications of a just transition for communities displaced by new mines and what can be learnt to inform future policies addressing the displacement and resettlement of people from land with mineral reserves. The second study site will be a town near a closed mining district, where the study will explore how restoration justice can be ensured during mine closure, how environmental laws can be implemented, and how post-closure restoration can be incorporated into the planning and design of new mines.
Research Partners
The field research will be carried out in close collaboration with researchers at Mulungushi University in Zambia, who will support research design, stakeholder access, and logistical coordination. Two junior researchers from the University will join the PGP team as core team members. In parallel, one PhD student from the University of Zambia will conduct data collection for the project along with the team for her doctoral dissertation and act as a local interlocutor.
Methodology
The research will use a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Document analysis, semi-structured interviews, photo-voice, and focus group interviews will be used to gather qualitative data. Door-to-door surveys will be used as a quantitative data collection tool.