Social and Economic Implications of Deep-Sea Mining

Deep-sea mining (DSM) is moving closer to potential commercialization as the demand for critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and copper increases to support the energy and mobility transition. Under certain conditions, developing countries whose economies and food security depend on marine ecosystems or land-based extraction of mineral resources could be directly affected by DSM. Beyond environmental risks associated with DSM, potential socio-economic implications raise questions about distributive equity, livelihoods and governance arrangements. These issues are central to international cooperation and directly relevant for partner countries potentially affected by DSM – particularly with regard to avoiding the rein-forcement of existing global power asymmetries and ensuring fair benefit sharing, transparency and accountability across value chains.

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ Sector Programme “Extractives and Development” commissioned a study which ex-amines the socio-economic dimensions of DSM and its potential impact on developing coun-tries.

The study “Mining the Depths, Undermining Development? Mapping Deep-Sea Mining and its Social and Economic Implications” has been conducted by Dr. Maila Guilhon (Independent Consultant and Research Associate at the Ocean Voices Programme) and explores these aspects along three main core areas:

• Origins of DSM under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the growing interest in commercial DSM.
• Representation and participation at the ISA including the topics of benefit sharing, technology transfer, and equitable access.
• Analysis of the potential socio-economic implications through a precautionary and exploratory lens based on a scenario where commercial DSM increases global mineral market competition without leading to a decrease in land-mining.

The report introduces a five-dimensions analytical framework based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with case insights from Brazil, the Democratic Republic Congo, Indonesia, Namibia, and Papua New Guinea.

Access the Executive Summary (External link)

Webinar “Mining the Depths, Undermining Development?”, 20 May 2026

Join the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) for the upcoming webinar “Mining the Depth, Undermining Development?” as part of the Deep-Sea Mining: What the World Needs to Know - Webinar Series (External link).

The webinar will feature insights of the study and open a dialogue on the socio-economic dimensions of DSM. The discussion will touch on market uncertainties, financial and livelihood risks, governance questions around benefit sharing and technology transfer linking global debates to country-level realities, as well as implications for international cooperation.

Date: 20 May 2026
Time: 15:00 – 16:15 CEST
Registration: Zoom Registration (External link)

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