Short Bio of Presenter:
Alessandro Mazzi holds a combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in International Law and is an insatiable learner, interested in better understanding modern human relationship with nature through the lens of law and coexistence. He is a PhD Candidate at Wageningen University (Chair Sociology of Development and Change), where is project focuses on “Understanding the Limitations and Potential of Law in Affording the Long-Term Capacity of Human and Non-human Animals to Coexist.” His interdisciplinary approach combines complexity science, legal ethnography, political ecology, and conservation ecology to examine empirically how law affects complex ecological and social interactions and ultimately affords the capacity for human coexistence with other forms of non-human life. His research's empirical focus is based along the South African West Coast, where he's examining the extent to which the law is used as an instrument for affected communities to respond to threats impacting their livelihoods, the survival of marine species and the health of the environments they cohabit.


Background of the Topic:
In the last decade, South Africa’s coasts have witnessed increasing pressure from oil and gas developments, threatening to disrupt marine and coastal ecosystems, with existential consequences for coastal communities and ocean life. In response, local communities, with the support of NGOs and lawyers, have managed to delay exploration efforts by challenging the sustainability and overall benefit of these activities for the long-term prosperity of human and non-human life.


Description of the Workshop:
In this workshop, we provide an overview of the role that the social and natural sciences are playing in decisions in South African courts. We will specifically focus on the case brought by Aukotowa Fishers, Natural Justice and the Green Connection before the High Court of the Western Cape, which is challenging Total Energies (TEEPSA)’s environmental authorisation to explore for oil and gas in the Deepwater Orange Basin (DWOB). We will firstly present the main arguments brought before the Court and how each has been informed by the intersection of both the natural and social sciences. Following this presentation, we will engage in a facilitated discussion to explore in dialogue our role as interdisciplinary academics and activists in helping to resist unequal and unsustainable ocean development in South Africa (and beyond). As the hearing on this case is scheduled for the following week (23–24 March), the workshop also aims to equip participants with sufficient background to critically reflect on the influence of scientific knowledge in Court argumentations.


Duration: 90 minutes. (30 minutes presentation + 60 minutes of group facilitated discussions).


Bring along with you a pen and your thoughts or questions related to the topic. Sea you there!