In this project we contribute a section to a broader bibliography on the role of the extractives sector in Africa, which is being compiled and published by the Institute for Security Studies. Our section provides an overview of the literature on the relationship between the extractive industry and sustainable development, which relates broadly speaking to the need to integrate environmental stewardship, socio-economic development, and some measure of fairness and local community participation in decisions that affect them. The focus of this section therefore is mostly on local-level impacts of extractive industry operations (rather than macro-economic or broader political dynamics); though of course environmental impacts may contribute to global issues, most notably through climate change.

Our section of the bibliography is divided into four parts. The first part (24 summaries) provides an overview of articles or books that emphasise an approach to sustainable development issues that integrates environmental and social issues, and / or which consider the implications of sustainable development for mining companies in terms of concepts such as corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR, corporate citizenship, or related terms signify the expectation that corporate decision-makers can and should take explicit consideration of social and environmental issues, over and above their traditional operational and fiduciary responsibilities. The second part (eight entries) considers those pieces in the literature that focus more explicitly on the relationship between extractive industries and the communities surrounding or otherwise directly affected by their operations, while the third (seven entries) mentions references that focus most directly on the environmental impacts of extractive operations and how company managers have sought to respond to them. The fourth part (12 entries) provides an overview of references related to the role of mining in South Africa’s history, with special attention to the establishment and implications of the migrant labour system.