- Title
- A comparison of the legal environmental sustainability requirements of those engaging in the mining cycle, with actual practice in the Carolina X11B quaternary catchment, Mpumalanga, South Africa
- Creator
- Thomson, Gareth Peter
- ThesisAdvisor
- Palmer, C G (Carolyn Gay)
- ThesisAdvisor
- Munnik, Victor, 1958-
- Subject
- Mineral industries Environmental aspects South Africa Mpumalanga
- Subject
- Acid mine drainage
- Subject
- Mineral industries Safety measures
- Subject
- Watersheds South Africa
- Subject
- South Africa. National Environmental Management Act, 1998
- Subject
- Water-supply Law and legislation South Africa
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- text
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MSc
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/63481
- Identifier
- vital:28417
- Description
- Mining is one of the most contentious water users. The mining sector has assumed that promises of economic growth and job creation will enable environmental concerns to be bypassed with as little interference as possible. More recently, the reality of legacy issues related to the inappropriate sign-off of mining sites has become increasingly clear, with acid mine drainage (AMD) being a prime example. There are also increasing concerns regarding uncontrolled prospecting. Climate change is one of the major issues faced in the 21st century, with predictions of heightened water stress for the Southern African region. This, coupled with increased population growth is putting a massive strain on the water resources currently available, making it vital to better protect and ensure the longevity of our water resources. The Carolina Crisis of 2012 highlighted the importance of protecting our water resources, and how easily they can be contaminated to a point where water is not usable. The Carolina crisis provided researchers with a suitable study site to better understand the role mining operations have in a catchment that has experienced a major pollution incident, and what changes have occurred since. In order to understand coal mining practice in relation to regulatory provisions, this project critically explored the processes involved within the mining sector, from ‘cradle-to-grave’, which is known as the coal mining life cycle. In addition, the composite suite of requirements of all the legislative provisions involved in the industry were investigated and the relationship between coal mining practice and environmental protection was explored. These elements were researched in the Upper Komati River Catchment specifically for catchment X11B, using Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which gives a holistic understanding of mining as a human activity system. CHAT also sheds light on the issues, gaps and overlaps currently being experienced in the coal mining sector. The Thesis refers to case studies of where mining issues have caused environmental degradation. A complete mining lifecycle in terms of regulatory provisions was compiled, and major issues were uncovered with current legislation in the mining sector that can contribute to the degradation of water resources in South Africa. An integrated water resource quality management plan is needed in order to streamline conservation mandates, identify and reduce duplication of effort and specify roles and responsibilities of authorities involved with decision making process. A Decision Support System (DSS) has been proposed, which would involve adaptive, participatory and inclusive management.
- Format
- 150 pages, pdf
- Publisher
- Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Thomson, Gareth Peter
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Collections
RU Institute for Water Research, including the Unilever Centre for Environmental Water Quality (IWR)
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