School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies (ETDs)

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Browsing School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies (ETDs) by Author "Chidzungu, Thandiwe"

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    The Role of Social Impact Assessments in Skills Development and Sustainable Communities in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition from Coal: A Study of Carolina and Kriel Mining Communities in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-10) Chidzungu, Thandiwe; Wafer, Alex
    The study investigated the role of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in addressing skill development needs and community sustainability issues in relation to a Just Energy Transition (JET) away from coal to the renewable energy sector in the Kriel and Carolina coal mining communities in Mpumalanga, South Africa. It had the following objectives: To explore the sustainability perspectives in the energy transition from coal to a low-carbon economy. Secondly, to examine the skill development needs within the energy transition from coal to the renewable energy sector in the coal industry in the two coal mining communities under study. Thirdly, to evaluate the potential of SIA as a strategy for assessing and addressing the social impacts of an energy transition from coal to the renewable energy sector on the two affected communities. Lastly, to recommend SIA as a policy entry point that the government can leverage in the Just Energy Transition policy framework in South Africa. A qualitative research approach, including quantitative techniques, was adopted. The primary data was collected through online and physical, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. A desktop study was used to collect secondary data. 230 participants, comprised of 60 experts and 170 community members, were engaged in the study. The participants were sampled using systematic, purposeful, random, and convenient sampling techniques. The researcher attended six webinars, two conferences, and two community forums on coal mining and renewable energy, where she gleaned some of her data and met some of the study participants. The Theory of Change was used as the theoretical framework. Findings on community sustainability issues in the two study areas reveal a lack of public participation, an increase in unemployment, and poor policy enforcement in land reform, affecting agriculture as the energy shift from coal to the low-carbon economy unfolds. They also point to cultural disruptions linked to possible internal relocations to make way for Renewable Energy (RE) infrastructure and gender disparities in economic participation that can threaten community sustainability. On a positive note, findings alongside the reviewed literature point to the growth of new economic opportunities linked to JET both in the affected regions and elsewhere, further creating employment opportunities. However, jobs created elsewhere may see relocations of the active group, affecting community stability and hence sustainability in the sending coal areas. Findings also highlight the perceived improvement in environmental sustainability linked to a reduction in pollution as clean RE technology is introduced, which improves health and agricultural yields as water, air, and soil quality are improved, thereby impacting community sustainability positively. With regards to skills development needs, the findings show low levels of educational attainment among the youth, a high rate of school dropouts coupled with poor school attendance, and a poor establishment of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, all of which will impact skill development during the energy transition. The study submits that the advocacy role of SIA can influence a rethink of curriculum design and fuel the creation of a skills needs assessment in line with the vocational system and Renewable Energy (RE) sector labour market demand. Moreover, it advocates for local action plans to support skills development through adult literacy centres for school dropouts and Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) to promote school attendance and the taking of STEM subjects targeted at females in schools and vocational colleges, who are disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts. With regards to the potential of SIA as an effective tool for addressing the social impacts of an energy transition, the study demonstrates that SIA can facilitate the identification of the social impacts and promote a deeper understanding of these impacts through its grassroot-level engagements. As well as facilitate the addressing of these social costs through sector-literate SIA teams, multi stakeholder collaborations, and community engagements. Furthermore, in the evaluation of developmental projects, SIA highlights the gender and age constraints of the social change process that need to be considered in JET’s socio-economic impact mitigation efforts. The findings further point to the consistency of SIA with the Grassroots Theory of Change, which articulates that change is made through collective action by communities regarding a problem or problems affecting their lives (Stachowiack, 2013). SIA is also demonstrated as a potential tool for strategic planning to identify current needs and opportunities that resonate with the "Policy Windows Theory of Change" by John Kingdon, which involves launching in-depth investigations of problems and providing constituent feedback as one application technique for advocacy (Coffman, 2007). All these attributes afford SIA the opportunity to fuel distributive, procedural, and rectificatory justice as the JET unfolds, making it better placed as an entry point to socially oriented policies. This positions SIA as a strategic tool that can assist with impact mitigation for JET-related social costs associated with skill development needs and community sustainability issues. The study, however, condemns the once-off process accorded to SIA and advocates for its use as an ongoing process as the JET unfolds to allow for continued monitoring and assessments and, hence, effective impact mitigation.