The ICMM report, developed alongside the World Resources Institute and WWF, highlights that 65.7% of sites worldwide are exposed to at least one critical water risk indicator. As global demand surges for materials essential to clean energy, the extraction process itself is increasingly constrained by drought, depletion, and unpredictable supply chains. Among the most concerning statistics, 38.2% of facilities are located in arid catchments where water is functionally unavailable, while 27% contend with high drought risk.

Regional vulnerabilities vary sharply, creating complex challenges for policymakers and investors. In Chile, a linchpin of global copper and lithium supply, 85.8% of operations face simultaneous water stress and volatile supply. Similarly, 80.7% of sites across Africa and the Middle East struggle with acute drought. Dr. Emma Gagen, ICMM’s Director of Data and Research, warned that failing to address these environmental constraints could inadvertently stall the shift toward a low-carbon economy. The industry is now urged to adopt integrated land and water planning to ensure that the production of critical minerals does not come at the expense of local communities and broader ecological stability.