Integrating competing water needs of mining and mineral processing with the environment, community and economic activity in a mining-dominated catchment

摘要

The mining sector is facing increasing regulatory and social pressures to demonstrate efficient use of water resources on both a local and catchment scale. This paper presents an integrated approach to mine water use and management, and highlights the need to consider the role of secondary water resources, fit-for-purpose water use and the essential requirement to monitor water quality, as well as quantity, in such integrated systems. It aims to provide a basis on which to identify key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to move towards a new paradigm of water management in 'mining' catchments in increasingly water scarce environments.