LONDON, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two-thirds of mining and metals facilities worldwide are located in areas facing significant physical water risk, according to new analysis by ICMM.
Our , also reveal that competition for water between mining and metals operations and other industrial and domestic users is the greatest physical water risk facing the industry. It highlights the importance of coordinated integrated land and water use planning at regional scales, as demand grows for the materials needed for clean energy systems.
Minerals and metals are essential to the energy transition and the low-carbon economy of the future, but this analysis shows that the conditions needed to produce them are constrained by physical water risks.
Key findings include:
The analysis found that water risk in mining and metals is global in scope but diverse in nature, differing according to geography and commodity. Some facilities face chronic competition for water; others face drought, flooding, or unpredictable annual supply. In some regions and supply chains, these risks overlap, creating vulnerabilities that must be addressed at through water stewardship and coordinated action across governments, industry, investors and the companies that use these materials.
The findings show that water risk exposure is not evenly distributed across the sector. In Chile, the world's largest copper producer and home to a significant share of global lithium reserves, 85.8% of facilities face high or extremely high baseline water stress and interannual variability at the same time. In Africa and the Middle East, 80.7% of facilities are exposed to high or very high drought risk, while in Oceania, 74% face high or extremely high interannual variability in water supply.
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The report draws on ICMM's updated Global Mining Dataset (v1.5) of 12,000 facilities – including mines, smelters, refineries and plants – and overlays facility locations with global water-risk datasets to assess exposure to selected physical water quantity risks. The Global Mining and Metals Water Dataset was produced in partnership with the WWF's Water Risk Team and the World Resources Institute (WRI).
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This dataset and report are part of ICMM's wider Global Mining Data Project that aims to significantly improve the quality and accessibility of industry-wide information by building robust, transparent data that can inform policy and advance wider discussions about mining and metals' evolving role in sustainable development.
Like all large-scale datasets, the has limitations. The data focuses on water risks and does not provide any information on the impacts or contribution of mining and metals to water risks. It is an intersectional analysis between a global mining and metal layer and global water risk layers. There are no global datasets on facility-level water consumption, withdrawals, discharge quantities or qualities to allow assessments of impact and contribution at this stage. See the Limitations section of the report for further information.
In addition, the dataset does not include data on facility-level or company level impacts or contributions to local water systems, nor does it attempt to assess operational performance, efficiency or progress against corporate targets. As such, the dataset should not be used to benchmark individual assets or companies, or to draw conclusions about the alignment of individual corporate disclosures with sector-level results.
Datasets from WWF and WRI were selected for their wide recognition and comprehensive coverage of water risk. Each offers distinct strengths and limitations, and ICMM assessed both to identify the most relevant indicators for inclusion in the Global Mining and Metals Water Dataset.
We also partnered with an independent peer reviewer to understand the limitations and strengths of our methodology, datasets used, and insights. This helped to refine our approach and data, ultimately strengthening our approach while being transparent with our limitations.
Please see the Methodology Section of the Report for further details.
ICMM stands for mining with principles. We bring together a third of the global metals and mining industry, along with key partners to drive leadership, action and innovation for sustainable development, ultimately delivering a positive contribution to society. Through collaboration, ICMM member companies set the standard for responsibly produced minerals and metals in a safe, just and sustainable world.
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