The presentation focuses on the role of water in mining operations and pit slope stability, and on how collaboration between hydrogeologists and geotechnical engineers influences the quality of engineering decisions. It shows that water is not only an operational factor affecting costs and mining efficiency, but also one of the key controls on rock mass stability, as pore pressure and hydraulic gradients directly influence failure mechanisms. A dedicated section of the presentation is devoted to the results of a survey of specialists from Central Asia, which illustrates the current state of collaboration between hydrogeologists and geotechnical engineers, its strengths, limitations, and areas for improvement. Overall, the presentation leads to the main conclusion that effective water management and close integration between the two disciplines are critical for safe, sustainable, and economically efficient mining operations.
