Regering moet hidrobreking-voorstelle verwerp om streeksvoedselsekerheid te beskerm | Government must reject fracking proposals to protect regional food security

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26 September 2022

Agri SA het kommentaar gelewer op nuwe konsep-regulasies wat hidrobreking (fracking) reguleer. Gegewe die risiko’s wat dit inhou vir die land se skaars waterhulpbronne, versoek die organisasie dat die regering die regulasies onttrek en alle planne verwerp om hidrobreking in Suid-Afrika toe te laat.

Hidrobreking sal ’n vernietigende uitwerking hê op die land se vermoë om voedsel te produseer. Daar is ’n oorvloed van wetenskaplike navorsing wat daarop dui dat hidrobreking ’n uiters ernstige risiko vir die omgewing inhou, veral waterhulpbronne. Dit word vererger deur ons beperkte kennis rakende die langtermyngevolge daarvan.

Hidrobreking vereis die gebruik van groot hoeveelhede water tydens eksplorasie sowel as produksie. Gegewe die chemikalieë wat in die proses aangewend word, word die water wat tydens eksplorasie en produksie van petroleum gebruik word ook besmet tydens die proses. Dit skep sodoende ’n aansienlike besoedelingsrisiko vir diepliggende en vlak ondergrondse waterbronne, asook oppervlakwaterbronne en die omliggende omgewing.

Suid-Afrika is reeds ’n uiters waterskaars land. Ons staar ’n 17%-watertekort in die gesig teen die jaar 2030, met ’n geraamde belegging van R33 miljard per jaar wat oor die volgende 10 jaar benodig word om die dreigende tekort aan te spreek.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse landbousektor kan tans teoreties voldoende voedsel aan die land en sy buurlande voorsien. Die aanduidings is egter dat voedselproduksie in die kort- en mediumtermyn dramaties sal moet verhoog as gevolg van bevolkingsgroei.

Omgewingsbeheer in Suid-Afrika, wat geïntegreerde waterhulpbronbestuur insluit, is uiters kommerwekkend. Die regering se prestasierekord van omgewingsbestuur van Suid-Afrika se water- en ander natuurlike hulpbronne oor al drie sfere heen dien as duidelike bewys daarvan dat die regering tot dusver versuim het om sy grondwetlike pligte in dié verband na te kom.

Die verslag wat die Departement van Water en Sanitasie onlangs gepubliseer het, naamlik National State of Water Report, asook die regulasies, onderstreep hierdie punt soos volg: “Government’s regulation and management of waste disposal facilities has been shown to be wholly inadequate. This is in part due to the structural/institutional shared executive and legislative competence of provincial and local authorities in this regard”.

Die realiteit is dus dat Suid-Afrika nie ’n uiters dorstige en besoedelende gasbedryf hier te lande kan akkommodeer sonder dat dit die landbousektor se vermoë ondermyn om voldoende voedsel aan sy groeiende bevolking en buurlande te voorsien.

Navrae

Janse Rabie Agri SA se hoof: Reg- en Beleidsake

 

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12 September 2022

Agri SA has submitted its comments on new draft regulations to govern hydraulic fracturing – or fracking. Given the risks entailed in fracking for the country’s scarce water supply, we urge government to withdraw these regulations and reject all plans to permit fracking in South Africa.

Allowing fracking in South Africa will have a devastating impact on the country’s ability to produce food. There is an abundance of scientific research indicating that hydraulic fracturing poses an extreme risk to the environment, especially to water resources. This is exacerbated by our limited current knowledge about the long-term consequences of hydraulic fracturing.

Hydraulic fracturing requires the use of vast amounts of water, both during exploration and production. Owing to the chemicals used in the process, water used during exploration and production of petroleum also becomes contaminated during the process. This creates a significant pollution risk to deep and shallow underground water resources, to surface water resources, and the surrounding environment.

South Africa is already a highly water-stressed country. Our country faces a 17% water deficit by 2030 with an estimated investment of R33 billion required each year over the next 10 years to avoid the looming shortage.

The South African agricultural sector can in theory currently provide South Africa and its neighbouring countries with sufficient food. Indications are, however, that due to population growth, food production will have to increase dramatically in the near and medium term.

Environmental governance in South Africa, which includes integrated water resources management, is extremely concerning. The track-record of government in all three spheres on environmental management of South Africa’s water and other natural resources provides clear evidence that up till now, government is failing in its Constitutional duties in this regard.

Indeed, the recently published National State of Water Report by the Department of Water and Sanitation emphasises this point, as do the regulations, saying that “Government’s regulation and management of waste disposal facilities has been shown to be wholly inadequate. This is in part due to the structural/institutional shared executive and legislative competence of provincial and local authorities in this regard.”

The inescapable reality is therefore that South Africa cannot accommodate a highly water consumptive and polluting onshore gas industry without sacrificing the ability for the agricultural sector to feed its growing population, as well as the surrounding neighbouring countries.

Enquiries:

Janse Rabie Legal and Policy Executive, Agri SA