“Colombia has a tropical environment with year-round high precipitation, which translates to a positive water balance. This is a key risk we consider when we run climate change modeling. For instance, when we design a drainage channel, we need to ask ourselves how that channel will perform in 100 years – is there a risk for erosion, overflow, or scouring in the future? Climate change is at the forefront of our practice and inherent in all our designs."

Diego Cobos, President, & Practice Leader in Geotechnical and Tailings Engineering, SRK Consulting Colombia

“In Mexico, water access is a key challenge for operations, and we work closely with clients to assess all aspects of water usage—sourcing, reclamation and reuse. Our solutions focus on improving water circularity without requiring significant capital expenditure. We prioritize practical, low to no-cost solutions that can turn operations around and help clients meet their sustainability goals.”

Lorena Montaño, Senior Director, Mexico, Minerals & Metals, Ausenco

“The natural environment and climate in Ecuador can be daunting, with high precipitation levels. In the region where Fruta del Norte and Mirador are located, we say our two weather conditions are raining or pouring rain, with 3,400 millimeters of rainfall per year. This is a particularly important consideration for tailings dams. Ecuador also has a unique topography, with rapid change in elevation that creates unique engineering challenges. Finally, seismic activity is also an important consideration: for tailings dams, the structures are designed to withstand events based on a 10,000-year seismic model. This level of planning is new for Ecuador.”

Luis Matute, Ecuador Office Manager, Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) ⁠