An investigative analysis of grassroots environmental justice principles in green stormwater infrastructure in USA and RSA

Abstract

The legacy of racism in both the United States of America and the Republic of South Africa, interwoven into policy and practices, continues to influence even the most basic infrastructural systems. One manifestation of this unfortunate fact is the injustice experienced by marginalized communities in the form of disproportionate flooding, contamination, and health concerns due to poor stormwater drainage. Attempting to act as a more environmentally conscious system, Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) has the potential to ease some of these historic inequalities by adhering to environmental justice principles. This study compares GSI documents from the 25 most populous cities in South Africa and the United States to their respective environmental justice principles outlined by (in the USA) or drawn from (in RSA) each country’s grassroots organizations. The results show that the cities of both nations are not planning or executing the practice of GSI with significant consideration of the environmental justice that their citizens crave, inhibiting the construction of more just societies. Examining examples of GSI documents in both countries reveals the challenges of decision-making in the face of scarce resources and the need for modern and just infrastructure, highlighting issues of inequality on both global and national scales.