Water Sensitive Mining (ARC Future Fellowship)

Mining changes the hydrology of our catchments through its dynamic influence on vegetation, soils, geology, and water storage, consumption, diversions and discharges. This presents risks and opportunities for the catchment-scale value of water resources.

The project will build on previous research to develop new knowledge about how the value of water can be shared in mining regions. The research will develop the scientific and decision-support basis for a new level of water stewardship by mining companies and land and water governance bodies. The research funded by an ARC Future Fellowship will cover:

•             Dynamics of landscapes and hydrology in mining regions

•             Detection and attribution of cumulative impacts over mine life cycles

•             The multiple values of water and effective metrics of value

•             Balancing complexity and utility in decision support models

•             Modelling the cumulative benefits of site scale water solutions