ICMM Report Shows Two‑Thirds of Mining Facilities Face Major Water Risk

A new International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) report, released on 22 July, analysed more than 12,000 mining and metals facilities in 148 countries and found that 65.7% are exposed to at least one significant physical water‑related threat. The most widespread hazard is baseline water stress, affecting 38% of sites, followed by drought, which threatens 27% of facilities, especially in Africa and the Middle East where risk reaches 81%.

The study identifies several compound‑risk hotspots where three or more water challenges overlap, including Chile, Peru, southern Africa, northern China, central India, western Australia and the western United States. Flood exposure is lower overall (14%) but is markedly higher for certain processing stages such as steel production and aluminium refining. About 5% of facilities face high risk across three or more water indicators.

The report highlights that water scarcity increasingly jeopardises the mining sector’s ability to supply critical minerals needed for the clean‑energy transition, underscoring the growing operational and environmental challenges for the industry worldwide.