Lindsay Shand (LS), partner at SRK Consulting in South Africa, recently unpacked the ICMM Water Stewardship Maturity Framework at the SAIMM ESG in the Minerals Industry Conference in October 2024. In an exclusive interview with African Mining (AM), Shand discusses the significance of water stewardship in mining and how the new framework can assist miners in this important journey.
Water is essential to all industries – and ultimately the survival of the human race – accessibility to this precious resource, however, is a growing challenge the world over. Per the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, (UNIDO) 1 global sustainable water supply is estimated to be 4 200km3 annually, while in 2000, global water use stood at 3 950km3 and demand is forecasted to reach 6 900km3, exceeding available sustainable supply by 40%. Under a business-as-usual scenario, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has projected that global water demand for manufacturing industries will increase by 400% from 2000 to 2050 and to achieve Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID), water use efficiency must improve drastically.
Join us on a deep dive into water stewardship – a topic of conversation high on the agenda within the global mining ecosystem and growing in impact on the sustainability of the industry.
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