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The water footprints of the global minerals trade

Chatham House | 2026-09-02 | economy

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English Summary

The production of global minerals poses an underappreciated risk to national resilience due to excessive water consumption, threatening both producer and consumer nations. Unsustainable mining practices can trigger severe local water shortages and environmental damage, creating significant instability risks for critical supply chains. The paper argues that governments and corporations must develop strategies to balance the economic necessity of mineral extraction with the imperative of protecting affected communities' water rights. Policy interventions are required to ensure sustainable water management and mitigate adverse social impacts across the entire minerals value chain.

中文摘要

全球礦物生產因過度耗水,對國家韌性構成一個被低估的風險,威脅到生產國和消費國。不可持續的採礦行為可能引發嚴重的當地缺水與環境破壞,為關鍵供應鏈帶來重大的不穩定風險。本文主張政府和企業必須制定策略,在礦物開採的經濟必要性與保護受影響社區用水權的迫切需求之間取得平衡。因此,有必要進行政策干預,以確保整個礦產價值鏈的可持續水資源管理,並減輕不利的社會衝擊。

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