[Opinion] Water: the engine of sustainable mining
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Pia Zevallos - Libélula General Manager
The mining sector in Peru uses about 2% of the country's freshwater (PERUMIN,2023), a fact that demonstrates the need to care for this resource responsibly and efficiently. In a context of climate change and growing demand for critical minerals, efficient water management becomes a central axis to ensure sustainable and competitive mining, capable of generating value for the country and the region.
In this scenario, the incorporation of the Water Forum into the agenda of PERUMIN 37, Peru's most important mining convention being held this week in Arequipa, takes on special relevance. Putting water management under discussion opens the debate on how to achieve a more productive and efficient mining industry that is aligned with the challenges of climate change.
During the Forum, strategies, technologies and innovative solutions will be presented, from replicable local experiences to global approaches. Key topics such as the impacts of the water cycle in watersheds with mining activity, the fight against illegal mining and sanitation, green water infrastructure, and the role of mining in financial innovation through instruments such as blue bonds will be addressed. All this with a special emphasis on the effects of extreme events and sustainability in water resource management.
These debates are connected to other central sustainability challenges that will also be addressed this week: energy transition, decarbonization, energy efficiency and the adoption of new mining standards. They all converge in the same purpose: to identify opportunities to reduce environmental impacts, strengthen the resilience of the sector and consolidate a competitive mining sector in the long term.
Managing these challenges in a responsible manner becomes even more relevant if we consider that Peru has one of the largest copper reserves in the world, 8 of the 17 critical minerals and a portfolio of 67 projects worth more than US$64 billion. The way in which these resources are developed, combined with efficient water management and the sustainability of the sector, defines its strategic role in the global energy transition and the development of new technologies.
PERUMIN 37 represents a unique opportunity to project responsible leadership in mining: mining that not only provides critical minerals to the world,responsible leadership in mining that not only provides critical minerals, but also drives companies to invest in water innovation, partnerships and sustainable solutions."
Water management is key to the future of mining. Measure and optimize your water footprint for a more sustainable and competitive mining industry.
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Published in the newspaper Management.
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