Line of Research: Responsible Production and Mine Process Optimisation

Doug is a Civil and Environmental Engineer with a PhD from The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His areas of specialisation include sustainable mining practices, bioenergy production pathways, life cycle analysis, integrated water resource management, socio-environmental risk and opportunity analysis, and strategy development and implementation. He has gained academic experience through his doctoral work in the design and analysis of sustainable bioenergy systems and post-doctoral research on the sustainability and economics of water management in the mining industry. His professional experience has been in the development and management of interdisciplinary and collaborative industrial research and development projects that deliver solutions encompassing the principles of long-term sustainability.

Journal Articles

• Pagliero, Liliana, McIntyre, Neil, Aitken, Douglas, Bolz, Pascal, Jamett, Nathalie, Pérez-Murillo, Gabriel, Rivero, Francisca, Herrera-León, Sebastián, Ordens, Carlos M., Campos, Levi, García, Giovana, and Cisternas, Luis A. (2024). Sustainable integration of desalinated seawater into regional water supply networks using a participatory modelling framework. Environmental Science and Policy155 103714 103714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103714
• Balboa-Espinoza, Victor, Segura-Salazar, Juliana, Hunt, Carlos, Aitken, Douglas, and Campos, Levi (2023).Comparative life cycle assessment of battery-electric and diesel underground mining trucks. Journal of Cleaner Production 425 139056 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139056
• Garcia-Zavala, Consuelo, Ordens, Carlos M., Pagliero, Liliana, Lèbre, Éléonore, Aitken, Douglas, and Stringer, Martin (2023). An approach for prioritising environmental, social and governance (ESG) water-related risks for the mining industry: The case of Chile. The Extractive Industries and Society 14 101259 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exis.2023.101259
• Alvez, Amaya; Aitken, Douglas; Rivera, Diego; Vergara, Marcelo; McIntyre, Neil; and Concha, Fernando (2020). At the crossroads: can desalination be a suitable public policy solution to address water scarcity in Chile’s mining zones? Journal of Environmental Management, 258, 110039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.110039
• González, Álvaro; Aitken, Douglas; Heitzer, Christian; López, Carlos; and González, Marcelo (2019). Reducing mine water use in arid areas through the use of a byproduct road dust suppressant. Journal of Cleaner Production, 230, 46–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.088
• Herrera, Mauricio; Candia, Cristian; Rivera, Diego; Aitken, Douglas; Brieba, Daniel; Boettiger, Camila; Donoso, Guillermo; and Godoy-Faúndez, Alex (2019). Understanding water disputes in Chile with text and data mining tools. Water International, 44(3), 302–320.
• Aitken, Douglas; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Rivera, Diego; and Holzapfel, Eduardo (2016). Water scarcity and the impact of the mining and agricultural sectors in Chile. Sustainability, 8(2), 128.
• Aitken, Douglas; Bulboa, Cristian; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Turrion-Gomez, Jose L.; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2014). Life cycle assessment of macroalgae cultivation and processing for biofuel production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 75, 45–56.
• Newman, Alan; Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2013). Stormwater quality performance of a macro-pervious pavement car park installation equipped with channel drain-based oil and silt retention devices. Water Research, 47(20), 7327–7336.
• Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2012). Achieving a green solution: Limitations and focus points for sustainable algal fuels. Energies, 5(5), 1613–1647.

Conference Papers

• Pagliero, Liliana; Aitken, Douglas; McIntyre, Neil; Asmussen, Pascal; Campos, Levi; García, Giovana; Jamett, Nathalie; Herrera León, Sebastián; Cisternas, Luis; and Pérez Murillo, Gabriel (2023). Sustainable integration of seawater into regional planning of water infrastructure. XXX Latin American Congress on Hydraulics, Brazil, November 7–11, 2022.
• Pagliero, Liliana; Aitken, Douglas; McIntyre, Neil; Asmussen, Pascal; Campos, Levi; García, Giovana; Jamett, Nathalie; Herrera León, Sebastián; Cisternas, Luis; and Bolz, Pascal (2022). Sustainable integration of seawater into regional water supply networks. Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium, Brisbane, November 30 – December 2, 2022.
• Pagliero, Liliana; Aitken, Douglas; McIntyre, Neil; Asmussen, Pascal; Campos, Levi; García, Giovana; Jamett, Nathalie; Herrera León, Sebastián; Cisternas, Luis; and Rivero, Francisca (2022). Integrated water supply systems as a response to the water crisis in Chile: Exploring future scenarios in the Atacama Region. Water Congress, Santiago, September 7–9, 2022.
• Aitken, Douglas; Pagliero, Liliana; McIntyre, Neil; Campos, Levi; García, Giovana; Rivero, Francisca; Miraldo Ordens, Carlos; Wiertz, Jacques; and Rivera, Diego (2021). How economically feasible are integrated smart water supply systems in the Chilean context? Water Congress, Santiago, July 7–9, 2021.
• Pérez, Gabriel; Pagliero, Liliana; McIntyre, Neil; Aitken, Douglas; and Rivera, Diego (2021). Evaluation of climate change risks faced by the mining industry in Chile: Spatiotemporal analysis of extreme precipitation for 2035–2065. European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly, Online, April 19, 2021.
• Álvez, Amaya; Aitken, Douglas; Rivera, Diego; Vergara, Marcelo; McIntyre, Neil; and Concha, Fernando (2019). An appraisal of public policy to replace freshwater with desalinated seawater in the Chilean mining industry. Water Congress, Santiago, Chile, May 15, 2019.
• González, Álvaro; López, Carlos; González, Marcelo; Aitken, Douglas; and Heitzer, Christian (2019). The use of a lithium industry by-product for improved mine water management through dust suppression. Sustainable Mining, Santiago, Chile, September 4, 2019.
• Moran, Gustavo; Aitken, Douglas; Paolini, Paolo; Arp, John-Paul; and Arp, Paul (2018). Developing hydrological scenarios for extreme flooding events as a framework for risk analysis of mine infrastructure to inform mine closure. Planning for Closure, Santiago, Chile, November 8, 2018.
• Aitken, Douglas; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Vergara, Marcelo; Concha, Fernando; and McIntyre, Neil (2017). Addressing decreasing water availability for the mining industry using cost-benefit analysis. World Water Congress, Cancun, Mexico, May 29, 2017.
• Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Rivera Salazar, Diego; Ponce, Roberto; and Aitken, Douglas (2017). Linking water scarcity, copper production, and electricity market: The Chilean case of interplay between greener power and uncertainty on copper prices. World Water Congress, Cancun, Mexico, May 29, 2017.
• Aitken, Douglas; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; and Rivera Salazar, Diego (2016). Cost-effectiveness of strategies to reduce water consumption in the copper mining industries. Water in Mining, Santiago, Chile, May 18, 2016.
• Reyes-Bozo, Lorenzo; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Aitken, Douglas; Higueras, Pablo; and Herrera-Urbina, Ronaldo (2015). Assessment of biosolids and their components as the main collector of copper sulfide ores. 11th International Mineral Processing Conference, Santiago, Chile, October 21, 2015.
• Newman, Alan; Shuttleworth, Andrew; Nnadi, Ernest; Mbanaso, Frederik; Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca; Aitken, Douglas; and Puehmeier, Tim (2015). Do pervious pavements really need pervious surfaces? The concept of macro-pervious pavement as a SuDS device. Sustainable Energy and Environmental Protection, University of West Scotland, UK, August 11, 2015.
• Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2011). Treatment of industrial wastewaters using a sustainable biological approach. UK IWA Young Water Professionals Conference, University of Edinburgh, UK, April 14, 2011.
• Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2010). Algae: A solution to wastewater treatment, greenhouse gas emissions, and biofuel production? IWA Young Water Professionals International Conference, University of New South Wales, Australia, July 15, 2010.
• Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2010). Algae: A solution to wastewater treatment, greenhouse gas emissions, and biofuel production? UK IWA Young Water Professionals Conference, Cranfield University, UK, April 14, 2010. (Winner of Best Paper and Presentation)

Book Chapters

• Aitken, Douglas; Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Restrepo-Baena, Oscar; Rivera, Diego; and McIntyre, Neil (2017). Socio-environmental issues related to mineral exploitation in the Andes. In: Andean Hydrology, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL
• Aitken, Douglas; and Antizar-Ladislao, Blanca (2014). Sustainable fuel from algae: Challenges and new directions. In: Gikonyo, B. (ed.), Advances in Biofuel Production: Algae and Aquatic Plants, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, F
• Godoy-Faúndez, Alex; Aitken, Douglas; Reyes-Bozo, Lorenzo; and Rivera, Diego (2014). Environmental-microbial biotechnology inside mining operations from an engineering viewpoint based on LCA. In: Sukla, L.B.; Pradhan, N.; Panda, S.; and Mishra, B.K. (eds.), Environmental Microbial Biotechnology, Springer. ISBN 9783319190174.