Africa, from the past to the present: Moving the critical environmental accounting research on Africa forward

This chapter focuses on environmental accounting on Africa, a continent with huge mineral reserves and extractive activities but with widespread pollution, social inequities and environmental degradation. It captures the centrality of natural resources to Africa and how these resources affect social, economic, environmental, political, governance, accountability, social justice and sustainability issues (e.g. climate change, deforestation and afforestation, environmental pollution, artisanal mining, accounting for water, waste management, non-degradable products, biodiversity and extinction of endangered species, erosion, drought, environmental risk, child labour, modern slavery, and social and environmental justice). We reflected on the trends and gaps in accounting research publications and captured the connections between governance, accountability, and social and environmental issues in Africa. Given the prevalence of the resource curse syndrome in Africa, this chapter reflects on and identifies the direction for future social and environmental accounting, and policy-oriented research necessary to address the urgent set of social and environmental issues if Africa is to become environmentally sustainable while meeting its Sustainable Development Goals. This chapter is a must-read for academics and students with interest in social and environmental issues in Africa.