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A planetary boundary for geological resources: Limits of regional water availability

The study shows that the regional water availability constrains the current and future production of 32 geological resources
Professor Shigemi Kagawa
Faculty of Economics
2025.03.21
Research ResultsHumanities & Social SciencesEnvironment & Sustainability

Fig 1. Proportion of current geological resource production exceeding production capacity determined by the regional water availability for the top ten geological resources with the largest volume of water overconsumption. (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)

Geological resources like metals are vital for renewable energy and storage technologies but require significant energy and water, raising environmental concerns. An international research team led by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in collaboration with from , identified the safe operating space for geological resource production within regional water limits. They highlighted troubling trends for resources like copper which is one of the key metals for a decarbonized future. This study aims to inform policies for sustainable resource production within limits of available water.

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For more information about this research, see “Geological resource production constrained by regional water availability” Kamrul Islam, Keitaro Maeno, Ryosuke Yokoi, Damien Giurco, Shigemi Kagawa, Shinsuke Murakami, Masaharu Motoshita, Science,

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