African mining boom

African mines provide the world with the raw materials for everything from cellphones to car parts. But how is the wealth generated by these mines distributed? And who is watching out for the environment?

A paper prepared by UNESCO showed that in Africa, poverty and lack of environmental education have left local communities "particularly exposed to the detrimental effects of contamination arising from mining."

From Democratic Republic of Congo, to Sierra Leone, to South Africa, DW takes a closer look at the issues surrounding mining of natural resources in Africa.