ICMM Water Dataset: Most Mining Sites Face Water Risk
Why in the news
The International Council on Mining and Metals published the first cross-commodity global look at water risks in mining and metals. It warns that droughts, floods and stress threaten metal supply and the clean energy transition.
Key facts
- Release: 22 July 2026, London, by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).
- Basis: ICMM’s Global Mining Dataset v1.5 with 12,000 mines, smelters, refineries and plants in 148 countries and regions.
- Partners: WWF Water Risk Team and World Resources Institute (WRI).
- Five indicators: interannual variability, baseline stress, baseline depletion, droughts and floods.
| Risk | Result |
|---|---|
| Baseline water stress | 38% of facilities face severe stress; 27% also have high depletion |
| Drought | 27% of sites drought-prone; Africa and Middle East at 80.7% |
| Flood | Worst for processing: steel and alumina refining 27% each, molybdenum 25%, aluminium smelting 24% |
| Interannual variability | 16% face unstable supply; Oceania worst at 74% (Australia 79%) |
| Compound risk | 5% face three or more risks, mainly Chile, Peru, central India, southern Africa, western Australia |
| Critical minerals | Drought risk 74% for platinum group elements; compound risk 21% for manganese, 9% for copper |
How mining affects water
- Large withdrawals for processing, dust control, slurry and cooling compete with communities.
- Groundwater pumping for dewatering lowers water tables.
- Tailings and mine drainage release heavy metals and chemicals into rivers.
- Pits and land clearing change run-off, raising erosion and flash floods.
Implications
- Scarce water may choke output of copper, lithium, nickel and rare earths, hurting renewables and EV battery supply.
- Droughts and floods cause halts and metal price spikes.
- Competition with farmers and villagers can cause unrest and loss of licence to operate.
- Fines, costlier alternative water and stranded assets.
Recommendations
- Catchment-wide water stewardship instead of site-level management.
- Include water risk in energy and critical minerals policy.
- Use recycling, closed-loop processing and seawater, as Chile’s Minera Centinela does.
- Set water allocation priorities before granting concessions; publish facility-level withdrawal, consumption and discharge data.
India angle
- Central India, the mineral belt of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, is a hotspot for compound water risk.
- Relevant to the National Critical Mineral Mission (2025), offshore mining plans and the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 (private auctions of critical minerals).
Exam angle
- Publisher: ICMM; partners: WWF, WRI.
- Five water-risk indicators: floods, droughts, stress, depletion, variability.
- Related terms: critical minerals, tailings, water stewardship.