Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers the political template on which mineral extraction occurs in Africa with resource governance and the impact of globalization on development paths within the continent. It also considers key areas of data deficits that can impact mineral development paths within Africa and how these can be addressed through a range of natural science and social science methods. The book focuses on the key environmental challenges that are linked to mining in Africa, and some novel ways of addressing these challenges. In addition, the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2015 prompted us to include a public health and mining. The book describes the challenge of resource governance and presents key ways in which scales of mining development can be more effectively managed in the African context of multiple jurisdictions and uneven regulatory capacity between and within states.