Abstract Loss or degradation of communal lands can have major implications for people’s livelihoods and well-being in rural underdeveloped areas. Mining operations are one driver of land loss with negative implications for people. This study assesses the livelihood effects of open-cast mining on a rural communal land village that lost 8 000 ha of land and compares it to another village nearby that did not. The results suggest that the loss of land and the ecosystem services they provide has negatively affected people’s livelihood strategies and outcomes. On average, only 23 % of households in the affected village had crop fields compared to an adjacent village, that did not lose land to the mine, where 90 % of households had a crop field. This accounts for substantial losses in income through agriculture, both as cash earnings and savings, and negatively affects household food security. As a result of the mine the affected community has also lost access to grazing, and now many households must pay to graze their livestock in other areas. Furthermore, the option to harvest several key natural resources (provisioning services) or non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as wild fruits and vegetables, edible insects, fuelwood, and to a lesser extent resources like reeds and medicinal plants were lost due to the mine, negatively impacting local livelihoods. NTFPs are important for rural livelihoods as they allow for cash saving, income generation and act as a safety net or fall-back option during times of increased vulnerability. The findings also give a good indication of changes in agriculture and resource use over time and the varying reasons for this. Other negative effects from the mine included; cracking of houses due to blasting, dust pollution, water contamination, social and cultural effects, community alterations and conflicts, and very little was seen to be gained in terms of employment through Social Labour Plans (SLPs) or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Households in the village affected by the mine lose approximately R 15 000 per year through losses of agricultural potential and the ability to collect NTFPs, which is larger than the annual cash incomes for most households. This value is likely to be an underestimate of the total value lost, as reductions in grazing potential and the loss of supporting, regulating and cultural ecosystem services were not included in this figure. This study highlights the importance of considering land access and associated land-based livelihoods in rural communal land areas in the context of disturbance and change. Recommendations for future assessments and policy on compensation for rural communities are made and issues relating to CSR are discussed.

中文翻译：

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采矿作业造成的土地和生计损失：南非林波波省的一个案例

摘要 公共土地的丧失或退化会对农村欠发达地区的人们的生计和福祉产生重大影响。采矿作业是土地流失的一个驱动因素，对人们产生负面影响。本研究评估了露天采矿对一个失去 8 000 公顷土地的农村公共土地村庄的生计影响，并将其与附近另一个没有失去土地的村庄进行比较。结果表明，土地的损失及其提供的生态系统服务对人们的生计策略和结果产生了负面影响。平均而言，与相邻村庄相比，受影响村庄中只有 23% 的家庭拥有农田，而相邻村庄没有因矿山而失去土地，那里 90% 的家庭拥有农田。这导致了农业收入的大量损失，包括现金收入和储蓄，并对家庭粮食安全产生负面影响。由于矿山，受影响的社区也无法放牧，现在许多家庭必须支付费用才能在其他地区放牧。此外，收获几种关键自然资源（供应服务）或非木材林产品 (NTFP) 的选择权，如野生水果和蔬菜、食用昆虫、薪材，以及芦苇和药用植物等较小程度的资源，都因以下原因而丧失。矿山，对当地生计产生负面影响。NTFP 对农村生计很重要，因为它们可以节省现金、创收，并在脆弱性增加时充当安全网或后备选项。调查结果还很好地表明了农业和资源利用随时间的变化以及造成这种变化的不同原因。矿山的其他负面影响包括；由于爆破、粉尘污染、水污染、社会和文化影响、社区改造和冲突导致房屋破裂，并且通过社会劳动计划 (SLP) 或企业社会责任 (CSR) 计划在就业方面几乎没有获得任何收益. 由于失去了农业潜力和收集 NTFP 的能力，受矿山影响的村庄中的家庭每年损失约 15 000 兰特，这比大多数家庭的年现金收入还要多。这个价值可能低估了损失的总价值，因为放牧潜力的减少以及支持、调节和文化生态系统服务的损失没有包括在这个数字中。本研究强调了在干扰和变化的背景下考虑农村公共土地区域的土地获取和相关的土地生计的重要性。对未来的农村社区补偿评估和政策提出了建议，并讨论了与企业社会责任相关的问题。