Analysis of the causal nexus between mining exports and the environment

While several studies have examined the consequences of mining on the environment, the causal nexus between mining export and the environment is yet to be studied. The impact of mining on the environment in the context of Africa is also understudied. This study aims to examine the causal relationship between mining export and the environment using data from 33 African countries from 1990 to 2018. Our findings based on the bivariate Granger non-causality model divulge a unidirectional causality from mining export to forest cover and CO2 emission. Again, we find feedback causality between mining export and greenhouse gas emission (GREEN-H). We conclude that there is a causal relationship between mining export and the environment and the nature of causality linkages is conditioned on the proxy of the environment. The observed nexus requires governmental and environmental agencies to reinforce environmental protection laws and mining regulations and monitor the efficient and effective deployment of chemicals and gases in African mining operations.