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Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction
Wind farms, as one renewable energy technology, have an increasingly important role to play in the context of a rapid, and world-wide, move towards renewable energy. As wind farm projects are implemented, they will have an impact on an increasing number of communities around the country. It is manda...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Construction Economics and Management
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613226154328064 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Brimble, Benjamin |
| author2 | Van Schalkwyk, Catherine |
| author_browse | Brimble, Benjamin Van Schalkwyk, Catherine |
| author_facet | Van Schalkwyk, Catherine Brimble, Benjamin |
| author_sort | Brimble, Benjamin |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Wind farms, as one renewable energy technology, have an increasingly important role to play in the context of a rapid, and world-wide, move towards renewable energy. As wind farm projects are implemented, they will have an impact on an increasing number of communities around the country. It is mandatory for any large infrastructure project such as a wind farm to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) process. This must include a public participation component, wherein members of the effected community are allowed the opportunity to provide feedback and comment on the proposed development. This dissertation explores the link between subsequent community acceptance of wind farms and the initial sentiments expressed in project feasibility documentation, specifically EIA records and public participation processes. If community approval is inadequate, the implementation of wind farm projects will be in jeopardy. It is therefore critical to better understand the driver of community acceptance. The study follows a qualitative approach comprising a multiple case study design. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews with landowners adjacent to two operational wind farm projects, located in South Africa's Eastern and Western Cape provinces. This is combined with a comprehensive analysis of project EIA documentation. The results show a material contrast between subsequent acceptance levels and initial community sentiments. While both wind farms now demonstrate high levels of community acceptance, this differs significantly from the "cautious pessimism" evident in historical EIA records. Cross-case analysis between the two projects highlight how factors such as cumulative impacts of multiple wind farms in an area, socio-economic conditions, and construction management practices significantly influence acceptance levels. The results show that while EIAs provide an important baseline for predicting community acceptance of wind farm projects, they likely do not fully capture the dynamic factors affecting long-term community sentiment. The study illustrates that construction phase impacts, although temporary in nature, plays a crucial role in shaping community perceptions. This was not fully anticipated in the EIA documentation. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how community acceptance evolves throughout a wind farm's lifecycle and suggest that EIAs should be viewed as living documents rather than static predictions of a particular point in time. The research recommends implementing ongoing stakeholder engagement beyond the initial EIA phase, developing adaptive management strategies to address emerging community concerns, and enhancing public participation methods to better prepare communities for wind farm development impacts. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42059 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:46.693Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Construction Economics and Management |
| publisherStr | Department of Construction Economics and Management |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42059 Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction Brimble, Benjamin Van Schalkwyk, Catherine Community acceptance Wind farms Public participation Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Renewable energy Stakeholder engagement Qualitative research Wind farms, as one renewable energy technology, have an increasingly important role to play in the context of a rapid, and world-wide, move towards renewable energy. As wind farm projects are implemented, they will have an impact on an increasing number of communities around the country. It is mandatory for any large infrastructure project such as a wind farm to undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) process. This must include a public participation component, wherein members of the effected community are allowed the opportunity to provide feedback and comment on the proposed development. This dissertation explores the link between subsequent community acceptance of wind farms and the initial sentiments expressed in project feasibility documentation, specifically EIA records and public participation processes. If community approval is inadequate, the implementation of wind farm projects will be in jeopardy. It is therefore critical to better understand the driver of community acceptance. The study follows a qualitative approach comprising a multiple case study design. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews with landowners adjacent to two operational wind farm projects, located in South Africa's Eastern and Western Cape provinces. This is combined with a comprehensive analysis of project EIA documentation. The results show a material contrast between subsequent acceptance levels and initial community sentiments. While both wind farms now demonstrate high levels of community acceptance, this differs significantly from the "cautious pessimism" evident in historical EIA records. Cross-case analysis between the two projects highlight how factors such as cumulative impacts of multiple wind farms in an area, socio-economic conditions, and construction management practices significantly influence acceptance levels. The results show that while EIAs provide an important baseline for predicting community acceptance of wind farm projects, they likely do not fully capture the dynamic factors affecting long-term community sentiment. The study illustrates that construction phase impacts, although temporary in nature, plays a crucial role in shaping community perceptions. This was not fully anticipated in the EIA documentation. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how community acceptance evolves throughout a wind farm's lifecycle and suggest that EIAs should be viewed as living documents rather than static predictions of a particular point in time. The research recommends implementing ongoing stakeholder engagement beyond the initial EIA phase, developing adaptive management strategies to address emerging community concerns, and enhancing public participation methods to better prepare communities for wind farm development impacts. 2025-10-30T07:49:40Z 2025-10-30T07:49:40Z 2025 2025-10-30T07:46:48Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42059 en eng application/pdf Department of Construction Economics and Management Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Community acceptance Wind farms Public participation Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Renewable energy Stakeholder engagement Qualitative research Brimble, Benjamin Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| title_full | Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| title_short | Exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar PV developers. Similarly, how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| title_sort | exploring the management and mitigation of conflict between land owners and wind and solar pv developers similarly how conflict resolution can be used to manage this interaction |
| topic | Community acceptance Wind farms Public participation Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Renewable energy Stakeholder engagement Qualitative research |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42059 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brimblebenjamin exploringthemanagementandmitigationofconflictbetweenlandownersandwindandsolarpvdeveloperssimilarlyhowconflictresolutioncanbeusedtomanagethisinteraction |