Water use JSE: R162.37 -3.24% NYSE:$8.95 -2.08% GOLD:$2 657/oz +0.34% GOLD:R1 526 569/kg +0.34% USD:ZARR17.87 -0.01% At 11:24am, 16 Dec 2024 Home » Sustainability » Environment » Water use Potable water is crucial for our mining and processing activities, employees, and host communities as well as our growth and development. Harmony faces water scarcity in South Africa and Australia and a positive water balance in typically high-rainfall Papua New Guinea. Our approach It is a business imperative to manage water consumption and secure water supply. To maintain our social licence to operate, acknowledging climate change, we manage and mitigate our impact on catchments by protecting water quality and the volume of potable water available to surrounding areas. Our water management policy guides the group’s approach with water management strategies adapted to the different climatic conditions of each region. This understanding of water management and related risks is embedded across our operations. Water security and risks are integrated into managing long-term strategic business objectives and financial planning, driven from the executive level, having evolved from a strategy to practical and relevant actions across the group. Complying with legislation in our host countries where we return water to the source, we aim to ensure responsible water treatment and discharge into the receiving environment. Featured fact sheet Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is a human right Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education. Many countries face growing challenges linked to water scarcity, water pollution and degraded water related ecosystems and it is estimated that 2.6bn people will lack safely managed sanitation by 2030. Our approach to water FY23 PERFORMANCE AND FOCUS AREAS Harmony’s operations measure volumes of water used and recycled at least monthly. Our focus areas for the year included: Proactive water risk management Stakeholder engagement and collaboration, including engagements about constructing additional water treatment plants Managing and mitigating water discharge Water recycling and reducing potable water intake Beneficiating water in partnership with our peers and utilities In South Africa, to offset potable water consumption and reduce reliance on municipal supply, we will continue building water treatment plants at various operations, (Mponeng and Covalent in FY24 and Margaret in FY25). We will also increase our water recycling ratio and reduce potable water intake, particularly at Doornkop, to meet efficiency targets. As a group, we will commit significant capital to increase our water recycling ratio and reduce potable water intake by materially adjusting our water sourcing profile in line with good industry practice and local sustainable development objectives. Future focus Harmony remains committed to investing in increasing our water recycling ratio and reducing our potable water intake by materially adjusting our water sourcing profile in line with industry best practice and local sustainable development objectives. In South Africa, we aim to offset potable water consumption and reduce reliance on municipal supply. We will continue building water treatment plants at various operations (Mponeng and Covalent in FY24 and Margaret in FY25). We will also increase our water recycling ratio and reduce potable water intake, particularly at Doornkop, to meet efficiency targets. We will also continue to support local government on its WaSH initiatives for doorstep communities. In Papua New Guinea, to reduce manganese levels in seepage from the waste rock dumps, we will implement a number of amendments to waste rock management, dump construction, material verification, placement and monitoring. This will in turn minimise the potential for impacts to the local river system. In Australia, we continue to evaluate multiple water supply options as part of the Eva Copper Feasibility Study Update to define a sustainable solution for the project. We are committed to engaging with stakeholders on this to understand partnership and mutually beneficial opportunities for water supply within the broader region. Case studies Collaboration is key for a win-win solution to water scarcity Harmony works closely with municipalities to improve the quality of water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) in our host communities and address issues like cholera. Read more: Collaboration is key for a win-win solution to water scarcity Demonstrating our commitment to sustainable water use Harmony continuously aims to reduce our reliance on potable water and improve our water conservation efforts. During the year, Harmony launched several initiatives that resulted in significant potable water savings. Read more: Demonstrating our commitment to sustainable water use Securing potable water supply for stakeholders Harmony’s water management strategy, recognising that water is critical for mining and processing activities and development, acknowledges the importance of securing potable water supply for our host communities and operations, especially in water-scarce areas. Read more: Securing potable water supply for stakeholders Further information Discussions and data on our water management approach and performance. Water management strategy ESG Report 2023 ESG data tables Water disclosure report 2023
