Justice Analysis: South Durban Basin
Environmental justice involves treating all people in the same fair manner regardless of who they are in relation to the environment and the policies which are being implemented to benefit it. Several definitions of environmental justice highlight that it occurs when the environment creates the circumstances for social justice to occur (Scholsberg, 2013). New policies that are designed to help maintain and rebuild our environment should carefully consider the impact they will have on differing socioeconomic groups in the area that is being affected. Environmental injustice is an underlying issue that is often overlooked as governments are under pressure to achieve climate-related goals by reducing the negative impacts they have on factors such as air pollution. This type of justice movement aims to protect people as well as the world around us.
Greenwashing is a method used by organisations to appear more environmentally-friendly than they actually are. Organisations want to be seen by the public supporting environmental justice, however fail to address the underlying issues. This slows down the process of implementing sustainable development and worsens the quality of life in areas that are already suffering from the impacts of climate change. Those affected are not treated fairly in alignment with environmental justice concepts (Ben-Shmuel et al., 2023).
A serious sustainability problem facing South Durban in South Africa is greenwashing which is resulting in environmental injustice. The South Durban Basin faces issues of deteriorating air quality, major floods and inequality (Firmin, 2019). Black communities are extremely vulnerable as they are highly exposed to great levels of air pollution which negatively impacts their health and living area. Additionally, women are vulnerably exposed to inequality here as gender roles expect them to be an active caregiver of the household and community and not ever leave (Scott et al., 2002). These residents of the South Durban Basin (SDB) are unfairly facing the challenges caused by policymakers who continue to ignore the environmental injustice which takes place in this area of Durban. Other areas of Durban are promoted to be holiday destinations for tourists and great petrochemical industries for investors. This disproportionate exposure is a historical environmental justice issue which remains unresolved, leaving the overcrowded Black South Durban community unprotected. This low-income community live and work in these conditions as a result of the economic benefits prioritised by the government to promote their fuel production industry (Tadese, 2021).
Promoting equality alongside environmental initiatives would positively impact the South Durban society. Currently the SDB community is stuck in a cycle of injustice as a result of the oil giants thriving economically. The nearby industry employ vulnerable members of the SDB community to work on minimal incomes (Naidoo, 2022). The wealthy people who benefit economically from South Durban do not face the challenges of life that the residents do. This is environmental injustice as the whole society are not being treated in a fair manner. The residents of SDB face damage to their respiratory and neurocognitive systems due to the chemicals including nitrous oxides and sulphur dioxide. Related health conditions pass down through pregnant women, children, and generations of families that are stuck in these living conditions without enough money to leave. Naidoo (2022) strongly suggests that the current research being done shows that there is a correlation between social determinants and air pollution with health effects resulting from exposure to risk.
In conclusion, using the environmental justice concept on this case study shows us the effects that each action has on promoting equality within South Durban, and allows us to analyse the impacts of industrialisation on the vulnerable communities and environment.
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Reference List
Ben-Shmuel, A.T. and Halle, S., 2023. Beyond greenwashing: Prioritizing environmental justice in conflict-affected settings. Environment and Security, 1(3-4), pp.209-218.
Firmin, S. 2019. Environmental Injustice in South Durban: Community caught between toxic polluters and climate shocks. Daily Maverick. [Online]. Available from: Environmental Injustice in South Durban: Community caught between toxic polluters and climate shocks
Naidoo, R. 2022. Just transition: Air pollution by oil giants is trapping impoverished communities into generations of injustice. Greenpeace. [Online]. Available from: Just transition: Air pollution by oil giants is trapping impoverished communities into generations of injustice - Greenpeace Africa
Schlosberg, D., 2013. Theorising environmental justice: the expanding sphere of a discourse. Environmental politics, 22(1), pp.37-55.
Scott, D., Oelofse, C., Guy, C. 2002. Double trouble: environmental injustice in South Durban. [Online]. Available from: Double Trouble: Environmental Injustice in South Durban on JSTOR
Tadese, J. 2021. Environmental Racism in South Africa: Assessing the Impacts of Durban South Industrial Basin. [Online]. Available from: (PDF) Environmental Racism in South Africa: Assessing the Impacts of Durban South Industrial Basin