Increasing Water Use in Global Copper Production Threatens Freshwater Availability

Water input in copper mining varies substantially across sites worldwide, with implications for local sustainable resource management. We quantify water use in global copper mining at unprecedented spatial resolution, using machine learning to estimate site-level water withdrawal and identify geographic hotspots of pressure on water resources. Results reveal that global water intensity is two-fold higher than previously known. Between 2015 and 2019 copper mines withdrew 13.6 trillion litres of water, with water use increasing at a rate 50% higher than copper production. In 2019, more than half of global copper output came from sites with decreasing freshwater availability and rising water demand, with notable contribution from Latin America, the largest copper producer and water user. Our analysis is relevant to public and corporate policy, revealing concerning spatial patterns on water use that can threaten future mine production, cause local conflicts and ultimately put global sustainability strategies at risk.