Water security is one of the biggest challenges facing Africa’s mining industry. According to the World Bank, mining accounts for up to 10% of industrial water use in Africa. Several factors contribute to water scarcity, including climate-induced changes, ageing or insufficient water infrastructure, and increasing contamination of surface and groundwater systems. Addressing these challenges requires equitable water allocation and the optimisation of water resources. To achieve this, all water users, including those in the mining industry, must employ innovative methods to conserve, protect and promote the judicious use of limited water resources.
For the mining industry to succeed in ensuring that water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable and equitable manner, it is essential that the implementation of water policies across the continent is stable, certain and promotes investment in water resources and related infrastructure.
The need for innovation in ensuring optimal use of water resources is even more important when considering competition for water among household, agricultural and industrial users as a result of climate change.
Water policies are being developed in response to this growing crisis. For example, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have all recently strengthened their permit systems, requiring mining companies to demonstrate how they manage their water use and prevent contamination before licences are granted or renewed. In South Africa, water users have had duties to prevent water pollution as far back as 1998. Further, the South African Parliament is currently considering amendments to strengthen water pollution prevention mechanisms and measures to promote equitable allocation of the water resources.
Challenges
Water scarcity negatively impacts mining production and effective water management is essential to the success of mining operations.
According to Deloitte’s 2023 insights on African mining, 15% of unplanned downtime in African mines has been linked to water quality issues. The South African Department of Water and Sanitation and the Minerals Council have often reported production slowdowns in drought years, indicating the strong impact of water scarcity on operations. Zambia’s state-owned electricity utility has also noted significant mine processing reductions during times when the country’s dam water levels are low. This is because the mines rely on the country’s hydropower to operate, and power output falls when water levels drop.
Due to the high level of water usage associated with mining, communities in the areas in which the mines operate also expect them to contribute to developing local water infrastructure.
According to the International High-Level Panel on Water Investments for Africa, convened under the African Union’s Africa Water Investment Programme, Africa needs an additional USD 30 billion annually by 2030 to achieve water security and implement climate-resilient water and sanitation services. Governments are increasingly looking to the mining sector to assist.
Governance
African governments are introducing stricter licensing regimes, strengthening their standards for water discharge and linking water management to broader sustainability goals. The industry must continuously plan for these policy changes. For mining companies, water management has gone from being a compliance burden to a core business imperative. This is especially the case when one has regard to the often complex legal and institutional arrangements relating to water governance.
For example, the legislative framework governing water use, discharge, pollution, prevention and environmental management at both mine and catchment levels in South Africa includes the National Water Act, the National Environmental Management Act and the Climate Change Act. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange Sustainability and Climate Disclosure Guidance (which applies to listed companies) outlines the transparent reporting process required for water-related risks.
Similar legal frameworks are found in Kenya, in the Environmental Management and Coordination (Water Quality) Regulations; in Namibia in the Water Resources Management Act; and in the Water Resources Management Act and the Environmental Management Act in Zambia, which empowers the Water Resources Management Authority and the Zambia Environmental Management Agency to enforce water management compliance and penalise mines for contaminating water.
The relevant local laws need to be considered together with the international frameworks for water management standards, which include the International Financial Reporting Standards S2 Climate‑related Disclosures standard, the Task Force on Climate‑related Financial Disclosures, the International Council on Mining and Metals Water Accounting Framework, and the Global Reporting Initiative standards. While these bodies are not regulators, they guide how mining companies manage and report on their water management initiatives.
Solutions
Forward-looking mining companies are integrating the applicable legal and policy requirements and guidelines into their long-term operations.
To tackle the challenges of water scarcity and mine water contamination and align with continent-wide water policies, mining companies are implementing initiatives to enable them to reduce reliance on freshwater, recycle mine-impacted water, prevent water contamination and improve full lifecycle water resilience in mines. Water management at a catchment level is also increasing, with governments, mining companies, and communities working together to manage shared water resources.
African mines are demonstrating what is possible when mining companies invest in long-term water solutions. In South Africa, acid mine drainage from abandoned mines is one of the persistent threats to human health and biodiversity. So far, little funding has gone into long-term remediation projects for acid mine drainage, but several large producers have started treating water impacted by mining on a large scale and supplying municipalities with reclaimed water. This model is gaining traction as municipal water systems deteriorate.
In Namibia, a country with naturally low rainfall and high rates of evaporation coupled with a rising demand for water for industrial use, water scarcity has long been a challenge. Many mining projects have worked with the Government to implement desalination and recycling systems to ensure a more sustainable water supply. For example, Swakop Uranium, based in the Erongo province, announced a desalination partnership with NamWater in December 2025 – the Erongo Sunam Desalination Project.
The situation is similar in the hot and dry conditions in Northern Africa, where coastal desalination projects and water recycling systems have been implemented. For example, the Agadir (Douira) seawater desalination plant in Morocco will be one of the largest in Africa and is set to produce 450 000 cubic metres of drinkable water daily.
To reduce water use and pollution, mining companies across the continent are also turning to technology, deploying closed-loop water recycling systems and advanced treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis and dry processing methods to monitor water levels and contamination.
Conclusion
Water is now a key factor in mining competitiveness in Africa, and more stringent requirements for water use and its management are reshaping how companies operate across the continent.
African mining companies that lead in water stewardship are not only aligning with this developing policy landscape, they are also contributing to the resilience of communities and natural ecosystems that rely on water to survive.
