Making Natural Resources Work for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development in Southern Africa
The exploitation of the region’s abundant natural resources has been at the heart of the high rate
of economic growth since the economic and financial crisis due mainly to buoyant commodity prices.
However, the impressive growth trends have not been accompanied by an improvement in human
development conditions as poverty; inequality and unemployment remain high in Southern Africa. The
growth has thus been described as jobless, poverty-insensitive and non-inclusive for its failure to be
accompanied by a clear transition from natural resources wealth to economic well-being where the
growing national output is reflected in rising productive employment, improved skills levels, access to
services and a reduction in poverty and inequality.
This report on Making Natural Resources Work for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable
Development in Southern Africa addresses the theme of the 20th
Session of the Intergovernmental
Committee of Experts (ICE) of Southern Africa. The main objectives of the report are to: (i) provide
member States with an overview of the state of natural resources exploitation in the region; (ii) identify
the resources value chains and operating challenges; and (ii) provide policy advice on how to deepen
the role of the sector in addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality in Southern Africa. The
report consists of five sections. Section 1 provides an overview of the importance of natural resources
to the economies of Southern Africa and isolates the various dimensions of inclusive growth. Section 2
reviews the various natural resources sectors focusing on current production activities and activities
along the value chains and identifies the challenges in each case. Section 3 outlines the possible
strategies towards strengthening the role of the exploitation and utilization of the resources in inclusive
growth and uses examples to illustrate how other countries have used natural resources revenues to
diversify economies and strengthen growth, create jobs and provide economic opportunities for
citizens. Section 4 presents the conclusion to the analysis. This is followed in Section 5 by sectoral
recommendations for member States and for the SADC Secretariat and development partners..
http://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/uploads/ice_document-making_natural_resources_work.pdf
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