Digging holes for themselves.

In the province of Mpumalanga in eastern South Africa, environmentalists and tour operators are battling mining companies to decide the economic and environmental future of the region. Unfortunately, the environmentalists seem to be in a bigger hole than their opponents.

As the region determines how best to address the issues of economic development and job creation, arguments from both sides are being heard. Mining companies claim that they'll create jobs not only in the coalmines, but also through the construction of infrastructure to support the mining operations, such as railways. Environmentalists, scientists, and travel companies counter that the pollution caused in the mining process will destroy the region's tourism potential once the mines are inevitably abandoned.

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One of the reasons that the mines are likely to win out over tourism is an inherent imbalance of power within the government itself. The Department of Environment and Tourism is not in a position to veto the decisions of the Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) because the DME issues mining licenses based on its own environmental impact assessments.

There's a great deal at stake as the battle in Mpumalanga escalates. The region is home to more than 270 freshwater lakes; Lake Chrissie, South Africa's largest freshwater source, is virtually pristine. "Water found in the natural springs around Chrissie Lake is of drinking water quality. It could be bottled and sold," says Jennifer Russell, a University of Johannesburg student doing her master's thesis on the water quality of the area. "Mining would pollute all of these pure water sources and we would never be able to get that back," she says.

--Inter Press Service, 9/30