952 with primary evidence gathered through expert interviews. The design enables a comprehensive assessment of water sustainability in mining by integrating conceptual insights from the literature with practical and operational sector perspectives, both to define a general approach to sustainable water management in mining under current conditions and to identify the fundamental elements that should compose it. Secondary sources were identified through structured searches in major academic databases, prioritizing recent peer-reviewed and gray literature. The platforms consulted included Google Scholar, Scopus, and EBSCO, with particular emphasis on leading water-resources journals such as Water Resources Management. Keywords were combined using Boolean operators (“AND”, “OR”), including “water sustainability”, “mine water management”, “water reuse in mining”, and “water scarcity”. The primary information was collected through semi-structured interviews with senior water experts from some of the largest mining operations, mainly in Peru20. The interviews focused on operational water management practices, risk management under climate variability, monitoring and modeling approaches, efficiency and reuse strategies, and the economic implications of water-related decisions. This qualitative evidence was used to complement and validate findings from the literature, identify gaps between theory and practice, and ground the analysis in real-world operational conditions. The authors reviewed the most recent and relevant literature, focusing on papers that provide robust analytical evidence on how water-related investments contribute to (i) supply risk reduction, (ii) operational sustainability, (iii) economic viability and financial risk mitigation, and (iv) governance improvement. Both primary information (interviews) and secondary sources were systematically classified according to these four analytical dimensions. The resulting body of evidence informed the paper’s conceptual framework and contextual analysis (see Appendix 1). 3.2 Analytical framework The analysis is organized around a general approach and four components of a proposed framework for water resources management in mining, both integrating evidence from the systematic literature review and expert interviews. The general approach assesses whether water sustainability interventions implemented by mining companies within an adaptive basin-scale framework reduce risk exposure, strengthen sustainability outcomes, and enhance economic viability. In addition, the main components of these interventions, suggested by the literature, are confirmed and analyzed, based on the same body of evidence. These four components are: (i) Data-driven and forward-looking water resources management grounded in the assessment and monitoring of surface and groundwater resources through updated technological tools, combined with climate-scenario modelling to inform decision-making. (ii) Water-use efficiency and alternative water sources for mining processes, focusing on efficiency improvements and recirculation within operations, as well as the use of domestic wastewater reuse and desalination as alternative supply sources. (iii) Basin-level water supply augmentation and flow regulation through conventional or naturebased infrastructure. (iv) Governance and social participation, examining basin-level institutional arrangements, clarity of roles and responsibilities, data transparency, and structured participation mechanisms to reduce conflict and sustain long-term mining operations. 20 Julia Torreblanca (Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde S.A.A.), Oscar Osores (Water Expert and Senior Mine Closure Manager - North America / Barrick Mining Corporation), Edgar Quiroz (Manager of Tailing and Water – MMG Limited Perú).
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2