QMM Water management

We know that water is a vital, shared resource that is integral to the lives and livelihoods of those communities surrounding QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) operations, and to the region’s long-term environmental stability. Access to clean drinking water is also a fundamental human right. 

We take our responsibility to manage water very seriously. 

Our water strategy provides an integrated approach to managing QMM’s current and future water-related challenges and objectives, across 3 pillars:  

Reporting

We have published our Water Report 2021-2023 which provides further detail on the water strategy, and water quality data and performance.

Water management requires continual evaluation and analysis to ensure that we avoid and mitigate potential impacts of our operations and implement leading practice. Together with our stakeholders, QMM is committed to continue developing solutions that work long-term.

Monitoring 

We conduct an extensive water quality monitoring program on water within our mine lease area and around Mandena, in compliance with Regulatory requirements. We also conduct additional monitoring and sampling of groundwater, surface water, and marine water quality for the Port activities as part of this program. 

Two sampling stations in the Mandromondromotra River have been selected to represent river quality data upstream and downstream of the approved release point. The map below shows the sampling station locations: 

• WMC603: current approved release point for the operations 
• S46: located in the Mandromondromotra River upstream of mining operations 
• S41: located in the Mandromondromotra River downstream of mining operation 

Progress

We have commenced a comprehensive receiving environment assessment undertaken by WSP Canada Inc (WSP), to better understand the aquatic life and the environment surrounding our operations.

Through gap assessment, data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting on the aquatic and overall receiving environment over multiple cycles, WSP will support a plan to complement QMM’s existing monitoring program, and further strengthen QMM water management.

This receiving environment assessment builds on a fish study undertaken by the Water Research Group (WRG), an independent South African environmental research centre, which we commissioned after a report of dead fish in the waterways near QMM’s operations in 2022 following a period of intense cyclonic activity.

The WRG study looked at samples of fish, water and sediments collected at the same locations as the observed fish deaths, as well as other critical monitoring points. WRG concludes that the 2022 fish deaths are unlikely to be caused by any of the metals concentrations in fish. However, based on the available data, WRG were not able to identify the cause of the fish deaths.

WRG explains that fish deaths are usually determined to be the result of multiple factors and recommends additional monitoring and assessment be conducted in order to better understand aquatic life in the environment surrounding QMM’s operations.

The WSP receiving environment assessment aims to provide this greater clarity on aquatic life. We commit to keeping our key stakeholders informed on progress of the receiving environment assessment.

Working with the community 

The communities where we operate are central to our water management strategy and sustainable mining vision. We believe the more we involve the communities in water management, and understand how they use the land and environment, the better our water strategy will be. We also believe that this partnership extends beyond our mine lease boundaries, and together with host communities, we can protect, monitor and care for our surrounding environment. 

We are developing a community-centred water monitoring approach focused on: 

• Information sharing: to understand, preserve and protect the waters at and around our operations long-term, we need to learn from local communities what their water needs are. We also need to share our information transparently so that communities are aware of and understand our water management strategy and approach. This will build the necessary foundation for successful co-design of long-term sustainable solutions. 
• Co-designed monitoring program: QMM supports independent, community-led monitoring of water-related aspects that are recognised as important to communities. This program is about what is of concern and meaningful to them; not focused on QMM’s monitoring needs. We are working with host communities and an independent external party to develop and implement this program.