Sustainable water management and improved corporate reporting in mining

The advent of corporate sustainability reporting and water accounting standards has resulted in increased disclosure of water use by mining companies. However, there has been limited compilation and analysis of these disclosures. To address this, we compiled a database of 8314 data points from 359 mining company reports, classified according to mining industry water accounting guidelines. The quality of disclosures is shown to have improved considerably over time. Although, opportunities still exist to improve reporting practices, such as by ensuring that all relevant water flows are reported and to explicitly state non-existent flows (e.g. discharges). Initial data analysis reveals considerable variability in water withdrawals, use efficiency and discharges between mining operations. Further work to improve industry coverage and to analyse the influence of mine specific factors such as ore processing methods and local climate will provide insights into the interactions of mining and water resources at a global scale. •Mining has the potential to contribute to sustainable water management outcomes.•Mining companies publicly release substantial amounts of water related data.•8314 water related data points from 359 mining company reports were compiled.•Water withdrawals, use and discharges vary considerably between mining operations.•Further implementation of industry water accounting standards should be pursued.