Just restorative pathways for rural landscape and livelihoods impacted by rare-earth mining.

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Through collaboration with Pensana Plc, empirical focus will be given to landscape and rural livelihoods impacted by rare-earth mining in Angola.Pensana aims to establish the world's first sustainable magnet metal supply chain to meet the burgeoning demand from electric vehicles, offshorewind and other strategic industries vital to achieving the UK's clean energy transition and net zero targets.This project is stimulated by urgent need to progress understanding of the social and environmental impacts of rare-earth mining and to co-developjust restorative pathways for rural landscape and livelihoods impacted by rare-earth mining.Demand for rare-earth minerals has exploded and the international Energy Agency's Sustainable Development scenario predicts growth requirementswill continue with a seven-fold increase in demand by 2040 for clean energy technologies. Many countries in Africa have a plentiful supply of in demand rare minerals and consider extraction critical to economic development and poverty alleviation. However, the construction of and extractionfrom rare-earth mineral mines results in significant changes to ecosystems, land and livelihoods. There are real concerns about the negative socialand environmental impacts and the potential to increase in social and environmental injustices. Restoration of landscapes and livelihoods thereforerequires urgent consideration. Restoring ecosystems to improve human wellbeing and mitigate climate change and biodiversity crises has become aglobal priority. Gaps in understanding of the social aspects of degradation and recovery processes and the marginalisation of local voices in thepredominant top-down restoration planning/governance processes remain a challenge.The successful applicant will have the opportunity to be based at/near the Longonjo mine in Angola for up to 9 months during the fieldwork phase,supported by Pensana.