A suite of new technologies for developing unconventional petroleum resources, collectively known as fracking, has stirred debate over energy production in South Africa. As an arid country with a growing human population, concern about fracking has understandably focused on water consumption and pollution. But recent research on public perceptions of fracking in South Africa indicates surface impacts to agricultural and nature conservation resources are not given sufficient consideration. We recommend agricultural and conservation organisations understand these potential impacts and draw on lessons learned from rapid fracking development abroad to prepare for production-scale fracking in South Africa (even though it is likely far off). We apply results from research on landowner and operator perspectives on fracking in the rural, agricultural Bakken region of North Dakota, USA, which describe substantial impacts on farm and ranch management and rural way-of-life. We present these experiences as lessons learned that South Africans can use to prepare for fracking from the individual farm to national legislation and regulations.

一套用于开发非常规石油资源的新技术，被统称为压裂法，引起了南非能源生产的争论。作为一个人口不断增长的干旱国家，人们对水力压裂的关注集中在水的消耗和污染上，这是可以理解的。但是，最近有关南非对水力压裂的公众看法的研究表明，对农业和自然保护资源的表面影响没有得到足够的考虑。我们建议农业和自然保护组织了解这些潜在影响，并借鉴国外快速压裂发展的经验教训，为南非的生产性压裂做准备（即使可能还很遥远）。我们将土地所有者和经营者观点的研究成果应用于农村地区的压裂，美国北达科他州的巴肯农业地区，描述了对农场和牧场管理以及乡村生活方式的重大影响。我们将这些经验总结为经验教训，南非人可以利用这些经验为从单个农场到国家法律法规的压裂做准备。