Water stress on the planet is a matter of growing global concern, especially for our country, which is among the 25 nations most affected by this problem. Water security for human consumption and productive development has become a priority issue, especially for the mining sector, whose operations are mainly carried out in the Chilean desert areas.
The last edition of «Mining & Community» of the newspaper El Mercurio dedicates its main report to the advances that the mining industry is incorporating in terms of water supply.
In this cover story, SMI-ICE-Chile Executive Director Doug Aitken explains the benefits of moving towards integrated water supply systems, which connect multiple water sources with different types of users. This model, he argues, is an opportunity to foster collaboration between different sectors, including mining, agriculture and local communities. «This shift from competition to cooperation can promote more sustainable and equitable use of water resources,» says Doug Aitken in the article, while also describing the integrated water supply systems project developed by SMI-ICE-Chile for the Atacama Region.
