The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), which counts many of the world's largest mining companies among its members, has released a new report indicating that 65.7% of mining and metals facilities worldwide are located in areas exposed to significant physical water risk.

The report and accompanying dataset, available on ICMM's website, compiled information from 12,000 facilities across 148 countries. ICMM said the findings show that 38.2% of facilities are in catchments with high baseline water stress, 27% are exposed to high drought risk, and 14% operate in areas with high flood risk.

The dataset also found that exposure to water risk is unevenly distributed across regions. In Chile, for example, 85.8% of facilities face high baseline water stress, more than double the global average. Chile is the world's largest copper producer, and copper is among the minerals most critical to manufacturing batteries, wiring, and renewable energy infrastructure. ICMM said data from Africa and the Middle East showed similar patterns.

Water availability is a critical operational issue for mining because many stages of mineral processing depend on reliable water supplies. Processes such as crushing, flotation, leaching, and tailings management can be disrupted when water is scarce or difficult to access.

In the report, ICMM said that as demand for minerals and metals grows to support the energy transition, understanding water risk has become essential for the sector and the wider economy. The International Energy Agency has projected that demand for critical minerals could rise sharply over the coming decades as countries scale up clean energy technologies, intensifying pressure on water resources in mineral-producing regions.

"If water risk exposure is not better understood and managed across the wider economy, we risk sleepwalking into a major constraint on the energy transition," said Emma Gagen, ICMM's director of data and research.

Gagen said the mining industry needs to adopt stronger stewardship principles. "This dataset is a starting point for others to explore, use and collaborate with us to continue improving the collective picture of water risk across the industry."

Crystal Davis, global director for food, land and water programs at the World Resources Institute, said, "Responsible mining starts with shared access to credible, publicly available data on where water risks are greatest."