In an effort to mark World Water Day 2023 on Wednesday, Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO; ASX: RIO) is making public detailed information about annual surface water usage across its various sites in over 35 countries. The information is displayed through an interactive map on the company’s website.
The interactive database details permitted surface water allocation volumes, the site’s annual allocation usage, and the associated catchment runoff from average annual rainfall estimate. This five-year historic comparative data will be updated annually.
In 2019, Rio Tinto made a commitment to drive good water stewardship and improve disclosure to stakeholders by publishing site-by-site surface water usage data for all managed sites by the end of 2023.
This commitment is in line with the water reporting guidelines of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Water Stewardship Position Statement, which sets out ICMM members’ approach to water stewardship, Rio said.
It includes commitments requiring members to apply strong and transparent water governance, manage water at operations effectively, and collaborate to achieve responsible and sustainable water use.
“Water is an essential resource, critical to sustaining biodiversity, people, and economic prosperity. It is also a resource we share with the communities and nature surrounding our operations, so it is essential that we carefully manage our use and hold ourselves accountable to our stakeholders,” Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm said in a media statement.
“This interactive database brings a new level of transparency and will enable us to engage more deeply with our stakeholders, seek their feedback on our disclosure and continue to focus our efforts on becoming better water stewards for today and future generations,” Stausholm said.
Use the interactive platform here.