Laka, Tshepiso Josephina2024-06-142024-06-142021-01-31Laka, Tshepiso Josephina. (2021). Balancing the Necessity of Mining Activities and Community Participation in the Pursuit of Environmental Protection [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38665https://hdl.handle.net/10539/38665A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Laws by Coursework and Research Report at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2021Mining activities result in a myriad of e nvironmental and health impacts. These issues remain to be primarily ignored by mining companies and government departments. The need for public participation in relation to environmental awareness and protection must be taken into account within mining affected communities, u nfortunately, most mining communities are often not aware that they are entitled to an environmental right under the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution). Communities suffer from environmental degradation that is inextricably linked to their quality of life and their well- being. Most mining companies fail to protect mining communities from harmful environmental impacts resulting from mining activities. South Africa depends heavily on mining sectors for its socio-economic advancement to such an extent that many millions of people rely on the revenue generated from mine. It is crucial that while mining sectors are pursuing economic developments, the environment, human health and social issues must be afforded the required protection. As such, this thesis explores the environmental harms associated with mining and the importance of meaningful participation. Notably, these environmental injustices can be mitigated by implementing the already established environmental legal framework. This thesis will further critically discuss how mining companies fail to encourage and promote environmental health and wellbeing by not only enhancing public participation within mining affected communities but to also provide communities with concrete measures to promote the ecologically-centred sustainable developmenten© 2021 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Mining communitiesPublic participationAccess to informationMining activitiesEnvironmental degradationEnvironmental protectionSouth AfricaUCTDSDG-15: Life on landSDG-11: Sustainable cities and communitiesDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg