Anna Gowera

Phd Researcher Wits Mining Institute, University of the Witwatersrand

Anna Gowera is an environmental and occupational health and safety professional with over ten years’ experience working across mining, power generation, electricity distribution, construction, manufacturing, systems auditing, and higher education. She brings a combination of environmental management, operational OHS expertise, and research-led systems thinking to discussions on responsible and future-focused mining. She is currently a PhD candidate in Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, affiliated with the Wits Mining Institute and the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, where her research examines the socioecological impacts of informal mining on rural communities in South Africa’s chrome mining regions. Her work integrates satellite remote sensing, environmental analysis, and community-based qualitative research to understand land-use change, environmental risk and impact, and livelihood dynamics in mining-affected landscapes. Alongside her doctoral research, Anna has led and contributed to applied, industry-facing initiatives in occupational health and safety, ISO management systems, critical minerals research, and the development and delivery of training curricula, working with stakeholders across South Africa and international research networks. Her interests include governance, behavioural and cultural dimensions of safety, and inclusive pathways for sustainable mineral development.