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Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies
Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613886490869760 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Louw, Marianca |
| author2 | Ruppel, Oliver Christian, 1969- |
| author_browse | Louw, Marianca Ruppel, Oliver Christian, 1969- |
| author_facet | Ruppel, Oliver Christian, 1969- Louw, Marianca |
| author_sort | Louw, Marianca |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109462 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:15.981Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/109462 Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies Louw, Marianca Ruppel, Oliver Christian, 1969- Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Mercantile Law. Fresh water -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Acid mine drainage -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- Germany UCTD Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Clean, safe, and adequate freshwater plays a fundamental role in the natural functioning of ecosystems, communities and economies. Mining is one of the developing industries which is leading to increased pollution, specifically water pollution. A major source of pollution in South Africa is acid mine drainage caused by the mining industry. Contaminated water pollutes soil and water supplies as it spreads underground and flows into streams and rivers. The flow of acid mine drainage into South Africa’s surface and groundwater systems has devastating consequences which are far-reaching and long-lasting. Despite its status as a developing country, South Africa is mainly industrial and rich in natural resources which have led to the mining industry becoming South Africa’s primary economic activity. The challenges that South Africa face regarding acid mine drainage include an increase in water demand due to urbanisation trends and economic development as well as a threat to surface water and groundwater quality. These challenges will only worsen due to climate change leading to water security. These realities necessitate the comprehensive review of the South African legislation that deal with mining and freshwater to determine whether and how these resources can be preserved. This dissertation will introduce the causes, consequences, and risks of acid mine drainage as well as the relevance of the constitutional rights related to water pollution caused by acid mine drainage. The environmental legislation, with an emphasis on water and mining law as well as joint initiatives that South Africa has taken to protect water resources, will be examined. The relevant legislation of the German legal framework will be evaluated in order to identify aspects applicable to a successful water quality protection framework which will assist in providing a criterion to investigate the effectiveness of South Africa’s legal framework and to establish the basis of the comparison. The dissertation will focus on judicial remedies to protect freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage. The two dimensions that emerge are existing acid mine drainage which may have resulted from years from abandoned mines and which necessitates judicial remedies and redress today and future threats by current active mines which link up with judicial remedies to prevent further damage. This dissertation will assess whether the current legal framework is adequate to protect freshwater resources from acid mine drainage in South Africa. Potential gaps will be identified, and possible solutions and recommendations will be formulated. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Skoon, veilig en voldoende varswater speel 'n belangrike rol in die natuurlike werking van ekosisteme, gemeenskappe en ekonomieë. Mynbou is een van die ontwikkelende bedrywe wat lei tot verhoogde besoedeling, veral waterbesoedeling. 'n Belangrike bron van besoedeling in Suid-Afrika is suur mynwaterafvoer wat deur die mynbedryf veroorsaak word. Die suur mynwater besoedel die grond- en watervoorraad, omdat dit ondergronds versprei en in strome en riviere vloei. Die vloei van suur mynwaterafvoer na die oppervlak- en grondwaterstelsels in Suid-Afrika het verwoestende gevolge wat verreikend en langdurig is. Ondanks Suid-Afrika se status as 'n ontwikkelende land, is Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik industriëel en ryk aan natuurlike hulpbronne, wat die mynbedryf Suid-Afrika se belangrikste ekonomiese aktiwiteit gemaak het. Die uitdagings wat die land Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar ten opsigte van die dreinering van suur mynwater, is onder meer 'n toename in die vraag na water as gevolg van verstedelikingstendense en ekonomiese ontwikkeling, sowel as 'n bedreiging vir oppervlakwater en grondwaterkwaliteit. Hierdie uitdagings sal net vererger as gevolg van klimaatsverandering wat lei tot watersekuriteits bedreiging. Hierdie realiteite noodsaak die omvattende hersiening van die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing wat handel oor mynbou en varswater om te bepaal of en hoe hierdie hulpbronne bewaar kan word. Hierdie proefskrif sal die oorsake, gevolge en risiko's van suur mynwaterafvoer insluit, asook die toepaslikheid van die grondwetlike regte wat verband hou met water wat besoedel word deur suur mynwater. Die omgewingswetgewing, met die klem op water- en mynreg, asook gesamentlike inisiatiewe wat Suid-Afrika geneem het om waterbronne te beskerm, sal ondersoek word. Die toepaslike wetgewing van die Duitse wetlike raamwerk sal geëvalueer word ten einde aspekte te identifiseer wat van toepassing is op 'n suksesvolle raamwerk vir beskerming van watergehalte wat sal help om 'n raamwerk te bied om die doeltreffendheid van Suid-Afrika se wetlike raamwerk te ondersoek en die basis van die vergelyking te bepaal. Die proefskrif sal fokus op regsmiddele om varswaterbronne te beskerm teen die agteruitgang van die omgewing wat deur suur mynwater besoedel word. Die twee dimensies wat na vore kom, is die dreinering van die suur mynwater wat moontlik jare voortspruit uit verlate myne en wat vandag regsmiddele en regstelling nodig het en toekomstige bedreigings deur huidige aktiewe myne wat aansluit by geregtelike regsmiddele om verdere skade te voorkom. Hierdie proefskrif sal bepaal of die huidige wetlike raamwerk voldoende is om varswaterbronne teen suur mynwaterdreinering in Suid-Afrika te beskerm. Potensiële gapings sal geïdentifiseer word, en moontlike oplossings en aanbevelings sal geformuleer word. Doctoral 2020-12-03T15:08:50Z 2021-02-01T07:56:14Z 2020-12-03T15:08:50Z 2021-02-01T07:56:14Z 2020-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109462 en Stellenbosch University xvi, 318 pages : coloured illustration application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Fresh water -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Acid mine drainage -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- Germany UCTD Louw, Marianca Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title | Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title_full | Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title_fullStr | Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title_short | Protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage : a critical comparative analysis between the South African and German legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| title_sort | protection of freshwater resources from environmental degradation caused by acid mine drainage a critical comparative analysis between the south african and german legal frameworks and judicial remedies |
| topic | Fresh water -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Acid mine drainage -- Environmental aspects -- South Africa Water -- Pollution -- Law and legislation -- Germany UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/109462 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT louwmarianca protectionoffreshwaterresourcesfromenvironmentaldegradationcausedbyacidminedrainageacriticalcomparativeanalysisbetweenthesouthafricanandgermanlegalframeworksandjudicialremedies |