Investigating how climate change adaptation can be incorporated into mine closure and rehabilitation strategies to strengthen social-ecological resilience

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dc.contributor.advisorWaddell, Joyen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSelomane, Odirilween_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSchulze, Meganen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Centre for Sustainability Transition. en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-23T18:16:39Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-08T20:33:01Z
dc.date.available2023-11-23T18:16:39Z
dc.date.available2024-01-08T20:33:01Z
dc.date.issued2023-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: Mines have a set lifespan, which means that their closure is inevitable. However, the research suggests that mining companies, historically, do not plan their operations with closure in mind. This is supported by the fact that mine closure and rehabilitation strategies have not been very successful in South Africa to date, resulting in thousands of abandoned mines across the country. Unsuccessful mine closure perpetuates social-ecological vulnerability within surrounding communities, particularly to climate change impacts. Mine closure presents an opportunity to increase the social-ecological resilience of the surrounding community to projected climate change impacts, post life-of-mine. Although there is a lot of literature on projected climate change impacts in South Africa, there are limited studies exploring the extent to which mine closure and rehabilitation strategies incorporate climate change considerations. This research aims to address this gap in the literature. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores how mining companies in South Africa can strengthen the social-ecological resilience of surrounding communities to climate change impacts through the adoption of climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with mining experts, from policy scoping, and from a structured review of mining companies’ annual and sustainability reports. Findings from this research highlight three key aspects to adopting climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies: (1) best practice guidelines significantly influence mine closure and rehabilitation activities; (2) the South African regulations governing mine closure play a crucial role in guiding the change required in industry; and (3) the mining industry must place an increased focus on the value of stakeholder engagements when planning for closure and rehabilitation. This thesis also assesses the benefits and challenges of incorporating climate change adaptation in mine closure and rehabilitation strategies. Findings highlight how the rise in integrated mine closure and progressive rehabilitation is providing early indications of successful and sustainable mine closure in South Africa, and globally. Finally, the insights gained from this research are used to develop practical recommendations to assist mining companies in adopting and implementing climate adaptation responses as part of their closure and rehabilitation strategies, as well as suggest alternative climate adaptation solutions focused on nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Myne het ’n vasgestelde lewensduur, wat beteken dat hul sluiting onvermydelik is. Navorsing dui egter histories daarop dat mynmaatskappye nie hul bedrywighede met sluiting in gedagte beplan nie. Dit word ondersteun deur die feit dat mynsluiting- en rehabilitasiestrategiee in Suid-Afrika tot dusver nie baie suksesvol was nie, wat tot duisende verlate myne regoor die land gelei het. Die onsuksesvolle sluiting van myne handhaaf sosiaal-ekologiese kwesbaarheid in omliggende gemeenskappe, veral teen die impakte van klimaatsverandering. Mynsluiting bied ’n geleentheid om die sosiaal-ekologiese veerkragtigheid van die omliggende gemeenskap teen geprojekteerde impakte op klimaatsverandering te verhoog, na ’n myn se leeftydperk. Alhoewel daar baie literatuur oor die geprojekteerde impakte van klimaatsverandering in Suid-Afrika is, is studies wat die mate waartoe mynsluiting- en rehabilitasiestrategiee klimaatsveranderingoorwegings insluit, ondersoek beperk. Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om hierdie leemte in die literatuur aan te spreek. Deur ’n kwalitatiewe benadering te gebruik, ondersoek hierdie studie hoe mynmaatskappye in Suid-Afrika die sosiaal-ekologiese veerkragtigheid van omliggende gemeenskappe teen klimaatsverandering se impakte kan versterk deur klimaatsveranderingaanpassing in mynsluiting- en rehabilitasiestrategiee aan te neem. Data is uit semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met myndeskundiges, vanuit beleidsomvangbepaling, en uit ’n gestruktureerde oorsig van mynmaatskappye se jaarlikse en volhoubaarheidsverslae ingesamel. Hierdie navorsing se bevindinge beklemtoon drie hoofaspekte vir die aanvaarding van klimaatsveranderingaanpassing in mynsluitingen rehabilitasiestrategiee: (1) riglyne van beste praktyk het ’n aansienlike invloed op mynsluiting- en rehabilitasieaktiwiteite; (2) die Suid-Afrikaanse regulasies wat mynsluiting reguleer, speel ’n deurslaggewende rol in die leiding van die verandering wat in die industrie benodig word; en (3) die mynbedryf moet ’n toenemende fokus op die waarde van belanghebbendes se betrokkenheid plaas tydens die beplanning vir sluiting en rehabilitasie. Hierdie tesis assesseer ook die voordele en uitdagings daarvan om klimaatsveranderingaanpassing in mynsluiting- en rehabilitasiestrategiee te inkorporeer. Bevindinge beklemtoon hoe die toename in geintegreerde mynsluiting en progressiewe rehabilitasie vroee aanduidings van suksesvolle en volhoubare mynsluiting in Suid-Afrika, en wereldwyd, verskaf. Laastens word die insigte vanuit hierdie navorsing gebruik om praktiese aanbevelings te ontwikkel om mynmaatskappye te help om reaksies op klimaatsaanpassing as deel van hul sluitings- en rehabilitasiestrategiee aan te neem en te implementeer, asook om alternatiewe oplossings tot klimaatsaanpassing voor te stel wat op natuurgebaseerde oplossings en ekosisteem-gebaseerde aanpassings fokus.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentx, 117 pages : includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/129049
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subject.lcshClimate change mitigationen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshMine closures -- South Africaen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshEcosystem managementen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleInvestigating how climate change adaptation can be incorporated into mine closure and rehabilitation strategies to strengthen social-ecological resilienceen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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