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Landscape Analysis of Cobalt Mining Activities from 2009 to 2021 Using Very High Resolution Satellite Data (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

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  • Chloe Brown

    (School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
    Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

  • Doreen S. Boyd

    (School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
    Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

  • Siddharth Kara

    (Rights Lab, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
    School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK)

Abstract

The cobalt mining sector is well positioned to be a key contributor in determining the success of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Despite the important contribution to the DRC’s economy, the rapid expansion of mining operations has resulted in major social, health, and environmental impacts. The objective of this study was to quantitatively assess the cumulative impact of mining activities on the landscape of a prominent cobalt mining area in the DRC. To achieve this, an object-based method, employing a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, was used to map land cover across the city of Kolwezi and the surrounding mining areas, where long-term mining activity has dramatically altered the landscape. The research used very high resolution (VHR) satellite imagery (2009, 2014, 2019, 2021) to map the spatial distribution of land cover and land cover change, as well as analyse the spatial relationship between land cover classes and visually identified mine features, from 2009 to 2021. Results from the object-based SVM land cover classification produced an overall accuracy of 85.2–90.4% across the time series. Between 2009 and 2021, land cover change accounted to: rooftops increasing by 147.2% (+7.7 km 2 ); impervious surface increasing by 104.7% (+3.35 km 2 ); bare land increasing by 85.4% (+33.81 km 2 ); exposed rock increasing by 56.2% (+27.46 km 2 ); trees decreasing by 4.5% (−0.34 km 2 ); shrub decreasing by 38.4% (−26.04 km 2 ); grass and cultivated land decreasing by 27.1% (−45.65 km 2 ); and water decreasing by 34.6% (−3.28 km 2 ). The co-location of key land cover classes and visually identified mine features exposed areas of potential environmental pollution, with 91.6% of identified water situated within a 1 km radius of a mine feature, and vulnerable populations, with 71.6% of built-up areas (rooftop and impervious surface class combined) situated within a 1 km radius of a mine feature. Assessing land cover patterns over time and the interplay between mine features and the landscape structure allowed the study to amplify the findings of localised on-the-ground research, presenting an alternative viewpoint to quantify the true scale and impact of cobalt mining in the DRC. Filling geospatial data gaps and examining the present and past trends in cobalt mining is critical for informing and managing the sustainable growth and development of the DRC’s mining sector.

Suggested Citation

  • Chloe Brown & Doreen S. Boyd & Siddharth Kara, 2022. "Landscape Analysis of Cobalt Mining Activities from 2009 to 2021 Using Very High Resolution Satellite Data (Democratic Republic of the Congo)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:15:p:9545-:d:879467
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Célestin Banza Lubaba Nkulu & Lidia Casas & Vincent Haufroid & Thierry De Putter & Nelly D. Saenen & Tony Kayembe-Kitenge & Paul Musa Obadia & Daniel Kyanika Wa Mukoma & Jean-Marie Lunda Ilunga & Tim , 2018. "Sustainability of artisanal mining of cobalt in DR Congo," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 1(9), pages 495-504, September.
    2. Faber, Benjamin & Krause, Benjamin & Sánchez de la Sierra, Raúl, 2017. "Artisanal Mining, Livelihoods, and Child Labor in the Cobalt Supply Chain of the Democratic Republic of Congo," Department of Economics, Working Paper Series qt17m9g4wm, Department of Economics, Institute for Business and Economic Research, UC Berkeley.
    3. International Monetary Fund, 2021. "Democratic Republic of the Congo: Technical Assistance Report-Governance and Anti-Corruption Assessment," IMF Staff Country Reports 2021/095, International Monetary Fund.
    4. Mwitwa, J. & German, L. & Muimba-Kankolongo, A. & Puntodewo, A., 2012. "Governance and sustainability challenges in landscapes shaped by mining: Mining-forestry linkages and impacts in the Copper Belt of Zambia and the DR Congo," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 19-30.
    5. Chloe Brown & Anna Daniels & Doreen S. Boyd & Andrew Sowter & Giles Foody & Siddharth Kara, 2020. "Investigating the Potential of Radar Interferometry for Monitoring Rural Artisanal Cobalt Mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-20, November.
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