Water is an essential input for mining and minerals processing, but the industry’s use of water can pose detrimental impacts on natural ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. In the past decade, water has emerged as a priority issue among mining companies and their investors.
Two thirds of the world’s largest mines are now located in countries experiencing high water scarcity, while water-related concerns have become a frequent trigger of conflict between companies and communities. In this seminar, Professor Nadja Kunz will provide a high-level overview of her research program, which focuses on characterizing and resolving water-related risks from diverse perspectives of companies, investors, communities, and governments within mining regions.
Prof. Kunz will provide an overview of evolving projects to advance mine water and geospatial optimization models for risk management in the context of uncertainties (such as climate variability) and under complex trade-offs (such as the water-energy nexus). Her research strategy is inherently interdisciplinary, bridging the fields of mining engineering, hydrology, social science and operations research. Current study regions include Canada, Chile, Peru and Mongolia.
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Nadja Kunz is an Assistant Professor and NESRC Canada Research Chair in Mine Water Management and Stewardship, jointly appointed across the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Norman B Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at The University of British Columbia (UBC). She obtained her PhD from The Sustainable Minerals institute at The University of Queensland. Prior to joining UBC, Nadja spent 2 years as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Eawag Aquatic Research Institute in Switzerland and consulted as a Water Specialist for the International Finance Corporation. Nadja has Bachelor degrees in Chemical Engineering and Business Management, both from The University of Queensland.
This seminar is presented by the Department of Earth & Environmental Engineering, Henry Krumb School of Mines.