Global freshwater demand for the energy sector is projected to increase under all 2ºC scenarios due to the rapid increase in electricity demand in developing countries . Despite the water shortage and climate change impacts, industry and energy sectors' share in global water demand has been projected to rise to 24% by 2050 , which will increase the competition among various water-use sectors . Furthermore, mining activities, which are highly dependent on sufficient water availability, are also at risk due to climate change . Given that some of the intensely mined regions, such as the Atacama Desert in Chile, are already water-scarce, even small changes in rainfall could destabilise water-intensive mining operations and affect the production and processing activities at mines . Overall, there is a lack of literature on the impact of climate change on future mining activities and other water-intensive industries.
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report