Water, mining, and waste: An historical and economic perspective on conflict management in South Africa

Rebecca A. Adler (), Marius Claassen, Linda Godfrey and Anthony R. Turton.
Additional contact information
Rebecca A. Adler: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Marius Claassen: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Linda Godfrey: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
Anthony R. Turton.: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

Economics of Peace and Security Journal, 2007, vol. 2, issue 2, 33-41

Abstract: Lack of government intervention in South Africa’s mining industry has worsened conflicts associated with limited water resources. With the advent of democracy, new legislation demands that all South African citizens have the right to a clean, safe environment, including access to potable water, and that the country develop in a sustainable manner. But conflict remains due to the historical partnership between the government and the mining industry, as well as due to cumulative impacts associated with mining, which has polluted natural ground water sources. In this article, an historical overview of the mining industry in South Africa is presented, along with a simple economic model to describe behavior of the mining industry over time. Legislative frameworks used to address mine waste and mine water management are evaluated and suggestions are made for how to use an understanding of resource driven conflict to improve the outlook of mining and access to water for all in South Africa.

Keywords: Water; mining; conflict; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D74 H56 O1 Q25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.epsjournal.org.uk/index.php/EPSJ/article/view/49 (application/pdf)
Open access 24 months after original publication.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:epc:journl:v:2:y:2007:i:2:p:33-41

Access Statistics for this article

Economics of Peace and Security Journal is currently edited by Michael Brown and J Paul Dunne

More articles in Economics of Peace and Security Journal from EPS Publishing Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Michael Brown, Managing Editor, EPSJ ().