In her new role as director of the University of the Witwaters-rand’s Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry (CSMI), Professor Caroline Digby is now actively involved in achieving the centre’s objective of instilling a cross-disciplinary and cross-border approach in sustainability research.

In doing so, the CSMI is in the process of building international ties with research centres of excellence in Australia, Canada and elsewhere, while simultaneously taking up the increased opportunities of developing a more Africa-focused research agenda.

Meanwhile, having partnered with other South African universities on its short courses, it is also planning to form partnerships on its research projects with these institutions in the future.

“Part of the reason for choosing to work at the CSMI is the opportunity to draw on a rich body of research being undertaken on various aspects of responsible mining across a wide range of the university’s departments and centres,” Digby tells Mining Weekly, adding that the mining engineering, public health, law, business, history, sociology, migration studies, plant sciences, chemical engineering and geology departments, as well as the Centre for Mechanised Mining Systems, are all undertaking research relevant to the mining sustainability agenda.

From a philosophical point of view, Digby also aims to emphasise the importance of hope and inspiration in difficult situations, emphasising the vital role of communicating a message that can constructively engage people – whether the people are ordinary members of the public, or high-profile corporate or government figures.

“There’s no point in telling stories of doom and gloom that leave people feeling helpless and overwhelmed about global problems. I am more interested in how to develop narratives that give people hope about their future and how they can contribute to better outcomes,” she says.

CSMI Research 2014
The CSMI is engaged in sustainability-related research at a number of levels – including projects by its graduate students and asso- ciates.

Current graduate student research projects cover topics such as climate change, environmental management in mining, biodiversity impacts, the effectiveness of public participation and fatigue management among shift workers.

The key applied research and training themes for 2014 focus on three aspects of sustainability, the first of which entails occupational health and safety and the necessity for mineworkers to leave the work environment without having been harmed, either physically or mentally.

The second theme entails environ- mental policy and governance, which involves the impact that min- ing has on the biophysical environ- ment, while the third theme, applied research and training, focuses on socioeconomic development to increase the contribution of the sector to the wellbeing of local communities, regional prosperity and national sustainable development.

The research programmes being undertaken at the CSMI this year include a review of the impact and effectiveness of the provisions of the Mine Health and Safety Act No 29 of 1996, including linking risk management to occupational safety and health performance and examining the range and complexity of factors that impact on the performance of health and safety representatives in South African underground mines.

Understanding the cumulative environmental impacts of numerous mines on the regional landscape, using the Free State goldfields as a case study and a review of the mining and minerals legislation in five sub-Saharan Africa countries with respect to the provisions and impacts for artisanal small-scale mining, also forms part of the research programmes.

Further research is focused on adapting bespoke research to develop a sustainability vision for the South African mining sector to 2030, and an assessment of labour relations in the mining sector and the underlying causes of conflict.

The CSMI is also boosting its in-house research capacity. Dr Sivalingum Rungun, of the School of Mining Engineering, has joined the CSMI this year to strengthen the research team. It has also established an artisanal small-scale mining research group led by Associate Professor Nellie Mutumeri, says Digby.