Environmental governance of uranium in Niger : a blind spot for development cooperation?

Niger is well known in international media as one of the world's poorest countries, struggling with chronic structural hunger and malnutrition. What is less well known to many is that Niger also hosts the fourth largest uranium production in the world. Export values totaled over 348 million Euros in 2010 alone, representing more than twice the total development assistance finance received during the same year. The exploitation of the mineral wealth (incl. uranium, gold, phosphate, coal) by international investors is expanding, with granted and requested mining permits comprising close to 10% of the national territory. A growing body of media and NGO reports has pointed to severe environmental, social and human health impacts associated with the mining activities. In contrast, the environmental issues associated with the uranium mining sector, or mining activities in general, go seemingly without mention in the guiding documents of the principal development cooperation donors. ...