CEEC International Unveils Groundbreaking Global Water Initiative Roadmap
CEEC International: Coalition for Minerals Efficiency, a global leader in promoting sustainable practices in the resources sector, is proud to announce the release of the Global Water Initiative (GWI) Roadmap. This comprehensive guide outlines a strategic approach to address water-related challenges in resource extraction industries, marking a significant milestone in collaborative efforts to achieve sustainable water management.
The GWI Roadmap, developed through a series of collaborative workshops and interactive sessions over a four-month period. The sessions were facilitated by consulting firm TriHelix Group and the resulting Roadmap reflects the input of 31 global participants from nine countries. With contributions from industry leaders, practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders, the GWI Roadmap provides a framework for interdisciplinary research and collaboration to tackle issues such as water scarcity, excess, groundwater contamination, seasonality, and overall water quality.
At the heart of the Roadmap lies the Water Wheel Framework, a conceptual model designed to illustrate the interconnectedness of the key focus areas identified by participants. The hub of the wheel represents interdisciplinary collaboration, which serves as the driving force behind the focus areas that include technological innovation, cultural and social considerations, environmental responsibility, and water management and treatment.
"The Water Wheel Framework is more than just a visual representation; it embodies our collective commitment to collaboration and innovation in addressing water-related challenges," said Janine Herzig, Executive President & Director at CEEC International. "By adopting this model, we aim to foster transparent communication and engagement while effectively conveying the significance of our work to stakeholders worldwide."
Key features of the GWI Roadmap include:
- Identification of focus areas: The roadmap highlights key focus areas identified through collaborative sessions, including interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovation, cultural and social considerations, environmental responsibility, and water management and treatment.
- Near-term actions: Immediate steps outlined in the roadmap include finalising partnerships with research institutions, identification of knowledge gaps and securing additional funding and other in-kind support to advance GWI initiatives.
- Addressing potential obstacles: The roadmap acknowledges potential obstacles to achieving the goals of the GWI and proposes strategies to overcome them through transparent communication and collaborative action.
- Commitment to accessibility: CEEC International reaffirms its commitment to open and accessible knowledge sharing, ensuring that the findings, learnings, and outcomes of the GWI are available to all stakeholders.
"The release of the GWI Roadmap marks the beginning of a new chapter in our collective efforts to achieve sustainable water management in the resources sector," said Ms Herzig. "While there are other groups working on water in mining, the CEEC GWI is unique in that water quality and quantity will be examined and modelled in operational context via the use of Archetypes. Another important outcome will be to ensure knowledge transfer, education and training is readily available for the benefit of all resource professionals and the communities in which they operate."
CEEC International extends its sincere gratitude to our early-adopter sponsors, Agnico Eagle and Weir, for their expertise and commitment. Additionally, we appreciate the support from our research partners, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland (SMI), whose collaboration has been critical in the development of the Global Water Initiative.
The Global Water Initiative Roadmap is available for download on the CEEC International website here.