Date : Jeudi | 2024-11-14 à 12h30
Lieu : Salle des thèses

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Edouard PIGNEDE (PSAE, AgroParisTech)

This article documents how the extraction of a labor-intensive commodity triggered urbanization in smaller, more remote, and poorer cities in sub-Saharan Africa. We leverage exogenous variation in the value of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASgM) activities – a widespread source of livelihood heavily dependent on the international market price – in a comprehensive panel of fine-grained cells starting in 1975. We find that locations with greater exposure to ASgM experience higher population growth and the emergence of more cities. These effects are driven by smaller cities (less than 50k inhabitants) and are particularly pronounced in isolated zones with a limited initial population. Focusing on cities, those with more ASgM tend to exhibit lower living standards and an employment structure still largely geared towards agriculture.