By: Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, July 4, 2022
Concern for the environment and the negative impact generated by the production of most industries are issues that are becoming increasingly relevant in the global debate.
According to a study conducted by the Colombian Ministry of Mines and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), on the evidence of alluvial gold mining (EVOA) in 2020, it shows that illegal mining affected 100,752 hectares, an increase of 28% between 2014 and 2020.
“In this context, we must understand the importance of data in mining, which is characterized by being the source of information for the construction of sustainable mining. This requires the use of clean, homologated, standardized and understandable data. Regardless of their origin, they must be of sufficient quality to be able to make decisions based on them,” said José Fuentealba, sales manager of InterSystems Colombia and Chile.
The lack of good data quality and a good data management strategy leaves a significant gap that slows down the execution of digital transformation and hinders innovation processes. Data management must be a pillar of digital development, connecting information silos, helping to understand business performance and supporting decisions and strategies,” Fuentealba added.
In order to move towards a sustainable mining industry, the incorporation of technology is essential. Along with the implementation of technology such as machine learning, predictability and artificial intelligence, it is essential to make projects more flexible and support them by democratizing access to information and building bridges between the relevant actors involved in the production process.
In addition, governmental and inter-industry support is required, along with an openness to innovation on the part of the mining companies, says the InterSystems executive.
Undoubtedly, an important challenge in sustainable mining is to be able to answer some crucial questions such as: What is our carbon footprint? What is the impact we are having on the surrounding communities? What is our use of water resources? It is also essential to know the impact generated by the different operations and thus project how to evolve and improve in order to reach a more sustainable goal.
This material from the ValoraAnalitik portal was edited for clarity, style and length.
Source: https://www.valoraanalitik.com/2022/06/30/optimizar-costos-en-la-mineria-sustentable-en-colombia/