JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The threat of ongoing water scarcity represents a significant opportunity to the mining and metals sector, as companies seek solutions to improve water security and sanitation, a new report from the International Council of Mining and Metals (ICMM) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, reveals.
The report ‘Shared Water, Shared Responsibility, Shared Approach: Water in the Mining Sector’, found that mining companies were increasingly thinking more collaboratively about shared water use.
However, the report highlights that more needs to done, given that access to water remains one of the biggest global challenges of the twenty-first century.
“Water is a critical resource for everyone. It is essential that all users – communities, businesses, governments – collaborate to optimise the use of water. Although every location has its own challenges, this joint IFC and ICMM paper shows that positive collaboration is beneficial for all,” said ICMM CEO Tom Butler.