Abstract
The Mpumalanga Province is a key source of South Africa’s coal supply with over 60% of the province’s surface area either being subject to mining rights or prospecting applications. Mpumalanga also possesses almost half of the country’s high potential arable land. While South Africa is currently largely self-sufficient in terms of cereal grains, what this assessment of Mpumalanga highlights is that food security is increasingly being threatened by coal mining interests that serve the nation’s energy needs. Water availability and quality for mining, agriculture and energy production in this province are also becoming increasingly strained. The water quality deterioration generally results from either acid mine drainage or contaminated runoff from mines and agricultural lands. This assessment of Mpumalanga highlights the interconnectedness of energy, food and water security, with their resultant trade-offs. The water-energy-food (WEF) nexus provides a focussed lens through which to evaluate resource security in a holistic manner. Only once regulators, NGOs, industry and the public view the resource security challenges in Mpumalanga in an integrated manner can planning and policies that lead to sustainable development be advanced, and objectives such as the Sustainable Development Goals be achieved. There is, therefore, a need for WEF nexus science and data to influence integrated public policy within this province.
Highlights
The Mpumalanga Province, which is the second smallest of the nine provinces in South Africa, contains almost half of the country’s high potential arable land
The goal of this paper is to critically review the Mpumalanga Province through the lens of the WEF nexus
South Africa’s dependency on coal for power generation, which in turn requires land for the development of mines—which in Mpumalanga is often high potential arable land—means that food security is being threatened by the pursuit of coal-based energy security
Summary
The Mpumalanga Province, which is the second smallest of the nine provinces in South Africa, contains almost half of the country’s high potential arable land. The insatiable hunger of these power stations is consuming the carbon-based fuel but is severely impacting upon the agricultural potential of the province, as well as the water quality within its rivers In a country such as South Africa, where there is such a large dependence on coal, to stop the development of new coal mines in the short to medium term would be tantamount to switching the lights off on a national level. South Africa’s dependency on coal for power generation, which in turn requires land for the development of mines—which in Mpumalanga is often high potential arable land—means that food security is being threatened by the pursuit of coal-based energy security This may in time negatively impact the cereal import dependency ratio, which will raise food prices, resulting in increased pressure on the vulnerable members of society. Mines, agricultural chemical fertilizers, and the generally poor management of municipal sewerage treatment works
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