Water use in mining. In particular, the two kinds of water footprint, two key indicators

Abstract

One of the most important elements for mining is water, as it is needed in many operations associated with mining work. Certainly, mining activities are closely linked to water: as an environmental resource that must be protected; as an indispensable resource for its use in the mine itself or outside it; and even as a problem to be avoided, reduced or corrected in mining. In order to evaluate and improve the sustainability of water resource management, two global indicators are used, which are very useful: the water footprint and the water footprint. Their calculation provides added value by going one step further than the classic analysis of an organisation´s water management.