Infrastructure Development's role in environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts and transmission channels

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has recently experienced an increase in infrastructure endowments. Meanwhile, Africa's ecological reserves have rapidly been degrading. This study assessed: (i) how different types of infra-structure have affected ecological footprints and (ii) how agricultural production, urbanisation, and human capital have mitigated these effects. Among the variables we utilize to reach our objectives are ecological footprint, infrastructure, ICT index, education index, urbanization, agriculture, trade, renewable energy con-sumption, and institutional quality. Based on the findings of the system GMM methodology for 39 SSA economies between 2004 and 2020, environmental degradation has been aggravated in the region due to infrastructure development. Infrastructure development indexes of different types have produced the same results. In addition, while urbanisation has tended to weaken the harmful effects of expanding access to; water, sanitation, and ICT infrastructure, it strengthened the same effect for electricity and transportation infrastructure. It was also determined that human capital amplified the harmful effects of electricity generation and ICT infrastructure on the environment. In addition, agricultural production weakened the negative environmental effects of ICT. In light of the study's findings, practical policy implications have been discussed.