Evaluation de l’impact de l’exploitation du sable noir en Mauritanie
Context
Assess and manage the impacts of black sand exploitation to sustainably protect the Mauritanian coastline.
The Mauritanian coastline is home to rich and abundant natural resources, both marine and mineral, making this area a coveted space at the heart of the country's development challenges. Recently, the exploitation of black sand (or ilmenite) has sparked new interests in this ecosystem already subjected to numerous natural and anthropogenic pressures. It weakens the coastal dune cordon that serves as a protective barrier.
A strategic environmental and social assessment (SESA) of ilmenite exploitation has been commissioned by the Mauritanian Ministry of Environment in partnership with the WACA project. This study aims to identify, describe, and evaluate the environmental and socio-economic issues that could provide elements to regulate the exploitation of black sand along the Mauritanian coastline, in accordance with sustainable development principles.
service
An in-depth socio-economic analysis to inform public decision-making
Vertigo Lab was responsible for the socio-economic component of the study to assess the impacts of black sand exploitation on the Mauritanian coastline. Based on the pilot site study SGS-MTR, the assessment took the form of a cost-benefit analysis and aimed to estimate: the wealth captured by the country, the jobs created, the impacts on other sectors of activity, the tax revenues collected, as well as the economic potential of black sand derivatives.
This approach allowed for the quantification of potential economic benefits while identifying the risks, trade-offs, and synergies necessary to reconcile mining development and the preservation of coastal natural capital.
BENEFITS
Recommendations for better-regulated and more sustainable exploitation
The study also provided recommendations on the feasibility of black sand exploitation for sites already previously identified by the Mauritanian Ministry of Environment. These recommendations were based on criteria of environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
For the sites suitable for black sand exploitation, we made recommendations to maximize the socio-economic benefits of this activity on Mauritanian territory:
- The relocation of certain economic flows within Mauritanian territory;
- Reinvesting the revenue generated by mining exploitation to compensate for the deterioration of natural capital;
- And redirecting tax revenues to finance development projects.
The + Vertigo Lab
Our consulting firm specializes in cost-benefit analysis, here serving the sustainable management of mineral resources.
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