Mining major Rio Tinto publishes a first-ever water usage report

The world leader in the mining of bauxite and iron ore, among many other minerals, Rio Tinto, observed World Water Day on March 22, 2023, by publicising information about annual surface water usage across its global network of managed sites in 35 countries, through an interactive map on its website.

The database details permitted surface water allocation volumes, the site's annual allocation usage, and the associated catchment runoff from each managed site's average yearly rainfall estimate. The database will be updated annually and include five years of historical comparative data.

Rio Tinto pledged in 2019 to promote good water management and improved disclosure to stakeholders by sharing site-by-site surface water usage statistics for all managed sites by the end of 2023.

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Water Stewardship Position Statement, which outlines the ICMM members' attitude to water stewardship, aligns with this committee's recommendations for water reporting. It includes obligations calling for members to implement robust and open water governance, effectively manage water operations, and work together to achieve responsible and sustainable water usage.

Jakob Stausholm, the CEO of Rio Tinto, said, "Water is an essential resource, critical to sustaining biodiversity, people, and economic prosperity. It is also a resource we share with the communities and nature surrounding our operations, so it is essential that we carefully manage our use and hold ourselves accountable to our stakeholders."

“This interactive database brings a new level of transparency and will enable us to engage more deeply with our stakeholders, seek their feedback on our disclosure and continue to focus our efforts on becoming better water stewards for today and future generations.”

Sharing water with communities and nature surrounding operations means balancing operational needs with those of the local communities and ecosystems. Rio Tinto aims to avoid permanent impacts on water resources by carefully managing the water quality and quantity returned to the environment.