Water Stewardship: Attributes of Collaborative Partnerships between Mining Companies and Communities

Abstract

With many of the world’s largest mines operating in jurisdictions of water scarcity, competition for water has become a frequent source of tension between mining companies and other water users. Water stewardship is, therefore, becoming an important strategy for the mining sector to address stakeholder concerns and earn social acceptance. Collaborative partnerships between mining and other water users are a necessary component of advancing water stewardship, but the attributes needed to implement a successful water stewardship strategy are understudied. This paper addresses this gap by examining two exploratory case studies in Peru and Mongolia, where collaboration has been used as a strategy for promoting more sustainable outcomes in water-scarce regions. The findings suggest that while questions remain about who is best suited to lead collaborative partnerships, trust in the entity responsible for leading collaborative partnerships (especially in situations of high conflict) and a willingness to allow each partner to play to their strengths are critical attributes of success. We conclude that the outcome of collective action between mining companies and other water users offers the potential to deliver both business and social value, and to advance more sustainable water management.

Enhancing community development management and the management of social and environmental impacts to get social license to operate in the mining industry: A Peruvian case study

“…The third critical moment occurs when after a financial evaluation, the company accepts to modify the mine closure stage and will restore the Asana riverbed, and close the mining pit with the waste produced in the extraction, thus the company gives solution to all the environmental concerns of stakeholders (Anglo American, 2021). The company will also carry out social responsibility projects with populations throughout the Moquegua region (Fraser & Kunz, 2018). As a result, the company improves community development management and the social and environmental impact management.…”

“…The company will also carry out social responsibility projects with populations throughout the Moquegua region (Fraser & Kunz, 2018).…”

Benchmarking corporate water reporting in emerging economies: the case of Peru

“…However, by focusing much more intently on the stakeholder engagement aspect of CWR compared to previous studies, it highlights how sustainable water management in emerging economies will depend heavily on the development of successful and genuine collective action partnerships between companies, the public sector and civil society. Experience from the mining sector in two emerging economies (Peru and Mongolia) indicates that to be successful in situations with potential for high conflict, these partnerships will need to comprise effective multi-stakeholder processes that play to the strengths of each stakeholder, and approach water-related challenges present in the catchment as shared problems (Fraser and Kunz, 2018). Such a collaborative approach to water accounting and management, accompanied by a move toward the concept of corporate water stewardship, has great potential to provide improved outcomes for water resources management, the environment and society (AWS, 2019a;Bebbington et al, 2019).…”

Managers' risk perception and the adoption of sustainable consumption strategies in the hospitality sector: the moderating role of stakeholder salience attributes

“…Along the same lines, Yang (2014) calls for empirical examination of varying factors that contribute to the adoption of sustainable consumption strategies and helps to identify the voices of those stakeholders who should be heard at the negotiation table. Similarly, Fraser and Kunz (2018) emphasize the need to understand the degree of willingness of each stakeholder to exercise its strengths in sustainable water management.…”