Whose Water? Whose life? Whose Knowledge? My research experience on water governance and mining in Sekhukhune, South Africa

Despite being a water scarce district, Sekhukhune has become one of the fastest growing mining regions in South Africa. Considering the water hungry nature of mining, can Sekhukhune sustain the expansion of this sector? Who benefits and who loses from this increase in mining activity? Using a political ecology framework, this talk explores preliminary observations about water governance structures and the interactions between stakeholders, from the community to the municipal government and mining companies. Major themes discovered will be addressed before discussing the challenges during my research in South Africa as well as lessons learned and reflections that have arisen since then.