Institutional linkages and acid mine drainage: The case of the Western Basin in South Africa

South African environmental policy is in the process of change, in response to new legislation. Groundwater is now protected by law as an asset owned by all South Africans. A lack of capacity (either in terms of technical personnel, or financial resources) is often blamed for those situations where groundwater management does not meet the new national standards. The example of acid mine drainage (AMD) near Krugersdorp in South Africa is used to argue that challenges in addressing groundwater problems may be more related to issues of institutional and stakeholder cooperation and coordination, rather than a simple lack of resources. The Krugersdorp AMD problem remains severe today, despite 10 years of various efforts to resolve it with a relative abundance of resources. An honest assessment of the way in which institutions cooperate and plan to tackle such problems may be needed if unnecessary cost is to be avoided.