<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/20/europe-backs-critical-minerals-mines-water-stressed-regions>
"The European Commission plans to rewrite the EU’s flagship water protection
law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being
located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found.
Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore
processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While
modern projects recycle water, they still require significant amounts, and in
water-stressed regions those demands can add to pressure on already stretched
rivers, aquifers and water supplies.
Analysis and mapping by Watershed Investigations, shared with the
Guardian,
found that more than half of the 33 planned new or expanded mines designated as
“strategic projects” under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act are located in
areas that have been drying over the past two decades, according to Nasa
satellite data.
Nearly half are in zones that experienced drought conditions in the past three
months, according to EU data, and a quarter are in regions deemed
water-stressed.
Six of the strategic mines are planned for highly water-stressed areas in
Spain, with others in Portugal and Greece. All three countries rank among the
top 10 EU nations with the worst water scarcity, according to the European
Environment Agency."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
