Downstream Impacts of Mines On Agriculture in Africa

Mining operations in Africa are expanding rapidly, creating negative externalities that remain poorly understood. In this paper, we provide causal evidence for the impact of water pollution from mines on downstream vegetation and agriculture across the continent. We exploit discontinuities in water pollution caused by mines along river networks to compare vegetation health upstream and downstream. We find that mines significantly reduce peak vegetation downstream, impairing the productivity of croplands. These effects correspond to substantial crop losses and highlight the environmental and agricultural externalities of mining activity.