Nearly two-thirds of mining and metals facilities worldwide are situated in areas confronting significant physical water risks, according to a new dataset and report released Wednesday by the International Council on Mining and Metals. Competition for water between mining operations and other industrial or domestic users represents the greatest physical water risk facing the sector, the analysis found.
The data show that 65.7% of global facilities are exposed to high levels of at least one physical water risk indicator. More than 38% of sites sit in river basins with high or extreme baseline water stress or in arid regions where water is virtually inaccessible, while 27% face high drought risk. High flood risk affects 14% of facilities globally, with greater exposure among alumina refineries, aluminum smelters, and steel producers.
Regional concentrations are stark. In Chile, the world's largest copper producer, 85.8% of facilities simultaneously face high baseline water stress and interannual supply variability. Across Africa and the Middle East, 80.7% of sites confront high drought risk, while three-quarters of Oceania's facilities deal with extreme year-to-year fluctuations in water supply.