Water Risk Management
Water is a shared resource of local regions and is closely connected to the lives of local residents and communities, as well as to the surrounding ecosystem. In addition to identifying water risks using WWF Water Risk Filter and then reducing those risks, our Group gives consideration to local communities and the environment in areas where we use water and are working with a sense of responsibility to make good use of the limited water resources.
Example Initiatives
- Prevention of excessive water withdrawal by understanding the amounts of withdrawal by source
- Reduction of water withdrawal and discharge amounts by promoting the use of recycled and reused water
- Promotion of effective use of water by understanding water balance and optimizing our amounts used
- Reduction of environmental impact by reducing amounts of hazardous chemical substances in effluent discharged into water
- Promotion of preservation of biodiversity through aquatic life monitoring surveys near our business sites
- Promotion of infrastructure development in areas where access to water is difficult
At Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC) in Palawan Island, the Philippines makes effective use of water resources because the
area is prone to water shortages during the dry season. For example, they treat supernatant water that accumulates in tailings dams
at recycling facilities and then reuse the water in their smelting and refining processes. The company also supplies this water as
industrial water to lime slurry producers, who are suppliers for the company. Furthermore, CBNC provides, maintains, and manages
water supply equipment and delivers drinking water using tanker trucks as necessary as part of its water-related contributions to
local communities. In addition, a team that consists of members from the Environmental Management Office (EMO), the department
that conducts environmental management activities for the company, local governments, NGOs, and other entities, strives to
reduce the environmental effects of discharge by conducting regular water quality tests to determine if plant operation is having a
major impact on water in the surrounding area.
The SMM Group also completes an annual CDP’s water security questionnaire regarding its water management. Further, on June
1, 2023, we established the Sumitomo Metal Mining Group’s Water Policy to summarize and clarify our approach to water.
