Definition
Dutch Disease is an economic phenomenon where a booming natural resource sector causes currency appreciation and deindustrialisation, making non-resource exports uncompetitive. Named after the Netherlands' experience with natural gas, it is a persistent risk for mineral-dependent economies.
Corridor Context
All three corridor countries face Dutch Disease risks from their mineral wealth. The DRC's copper-cobalt exports dominate foreign exchange earnings. Zambia's experience with copper price-driven kwacha volatility illustrates the challenge. The Lobito Corridor SEZ programme and beneficiation policies aim to diversify economic activity and mitigate Dutch Disease by creating non-extractive industries alongside mining.
Related Terms
Return to the full glossary for additional terms and definitions related to the Lobito Corridor.
Editorial Note
This glossary entry is designed as a concise research gateway, not as a closed encyclopedia article. Its editorial job is to define the subject, explain why it matters to the Lobito Corridor, and route readers toward deeper profiles, datasets, and primary sources. Updates are made when new public data, official disclosures, regulatory changes, or field monitoring materially alter the corridor assessment.
For institutional users, the page should be read as an index layer: it helps locate the relevant company, mine, community, regulation, commodity, or infrastructure file before moving into article-length analysis. Claims that affect investment, human-rights, ESG, or public-policy interpretation should be checked against the linked source pack and the underlying corridor database before being reused externally.
How To Use This Term
In corridor research, short reference pages are useful only when they make the next analytical move clear. This term should therefore be used as a signpost into the wider evidence base: follow the internal links for project-level detail, use the source pack where primary verification is required, and treat unsourced commercial or policy claims as provisional until checked against official data or direct disclosure. The page is intentionally kept operational: it tells an analyst what the item means, why it matters, which corridor actors are affected, and where to go next for decision-grade context.
Where This Fits
This page belongs to the Lobito Corridor institutional research graph. Use the links below to verify route context, financing, mineral exposure, and strategic relevance before treating this page as a standalone source.