Environmental insecurity is a relatively new expression within the broader space of security. Many contributors to local and global insecurity are also threats to environmental security which represent the interconnectedness and complexity of environmental insecurity. Local perceptions from local areas such as the Mnisi Tribal Authority (MTA) are often useful to decision-makers working to reduce harm from environmental insecurity. In order to understand the local perceptions of the MTA, I set three objectives for this research: i) explore local perceptions of environmental insecurity and its perceived relationships with other forms of insecurity; ii) compare and contrast local perceptions of risk associated with environmental and other forms of insecurity; iii) explore relationships between factors influencing and being influenced by environmental insecurity. Data were collected with face to face interviews (N = 211) with residents of the Mnisi Tribal Authority in Mpumalanga, South Africa, in 2019. Variables including village location, age, children in the household, land ownership status, and gender had a significant influence on residents' risk perception to various insecurities including environmental, food, and water. Among study residents, environmental insecurity is influenced and affected by a range of variables. Local perceptions from the MTA and other local areas are crucial to understanding this relationship. Interpreting and analyzing the perceived risks at all levels can be a key to designing policies that aid in insecurity reduction at local, regional, and global levels.
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