The SMI-ICE-Chile hydrogeologist and researcher gave a presentation on integrated water supply systems at SEMIN UdeC, the university’s 2024 Mining Seminar.
At this academic meeting targeted towards students and professors of civil metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, mechanical engineering and geology, the topic of water in the mining industry was key.
Giovanna García began by detailing Chile’s water stress situation, its projections, and consumption by the different productive sectors (agriculture is the largest consumer, with 88%, and mining accounts for 3.8%).
Her presentation identified the causes of the water gap and risks in the watersheds, including the impact of climate change. She attributed the main problem to water management and governance, due to a lack of information, coordination and control, and the absence of an institutional framework that supports efficient use of water resources and an adequate regulatory framework for water management.
In this context, Giovana García presented a project developed in the Atacama Region over three years by a team of SMI-ICE-Chile researchers, with funding from Mitsubishi Corporation Inversiones Limitada, Chile (MCI): «Integrated water supply systems». (See news article by the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland).
This work by a team of 12 Chilean and international researchers presents a participatory planning model that sustainably integrates desalinated seawater into a regional supply network in water-scarce areas. The aim is to promote shared water supply systems that increase access for all users, transitioning from individual water supply systems to shared systems that optimize resources.
Dennis Vega, leader of SMI-ICE-Chile’s «Processing: Energy, Water and Emissions» team, who was also present at the seminar, explained the value of participating in this type of event: «It was exciting to show future industry professionals and other sector professionals what SMI-ICE-Chile does,» he said. «And it was also really valuable to explain what we are doing to address the water challenge, a central issue in mining today. We had the chance to present a project that can potentially be developed in other mining areas in Chile.»
