Fractured perceptions: Unconventional oil and gas development and the social construction of perceptions of risk in South Africa

To address energy shortages, the South African government includes the development and extraction of local natural gas as part of its future energy plan. Insights into risk perception are crucial for determining realistic and likely risks relevant to future energy developments in the face of the country's future energy planning. Studies on the social construction of the risk perceptions of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development are lacking since risk perceptions of UOG development in South Africa are not underpinned by tangible, lived experiences. This study, therefore, offers novel insights into the social construction of risk perceptions. We identified the risk objects, objects at risk, and factors influencing risk perceptions, and found that UOG development risk perceptions in South Africa are socially constructed through group membership and participation. The perceived rivalry between opposition and proposition groups prompts stakeholders to deliberately formulate ideas, opinions, and viewpoints to counter those of oppositional groups. We propose a risk communication strategy that considers the media's influence on stakeholders’ risk perceptions, aims to understand the different stakeholder groups’ views, intentions and expected behaviour, and tailors communication that acknowledges groups’ different goals and intentions. The proposed strategy considers the diverging opinions of the opposing groups in a collaborative effort to build trust in and between groups.