(December 27, 2022) Cerro Verde’s success in protecting the environment while building a water infrastructure network that benefits the entire Arequipa region of Peru has earned it a Climate Positive Award 2022, presented by Green Cross UK.
The award recognizes Cerro Verde’s “Virtuous Cycle of Water,” an investment in water projects that include the construction of several dams, a potable water treatment plant and a major wastewater treatment facility. Aside from meeting the needs of the mining operation, the facilities supply clean water to more than 350,000 residents in Arequipa and treat the raw sewage from more than 1 million people that previously flowed directly into the Chili River.
In 2015, the Chili River, which flows through the middle of town, was considered “dead.” Today, wildlife and fish species are making a comeback, and intestinal health related illnesses in Arequipa are no longer a major issue. Furthermore, farmers can irrigate their crops with clean water which now allows them to export their products, improve revenues and ultimately, the quality of life.
The award specifically cites the Pillones Dam as the first example of a successful public-private association in Peru while also recognizing the overall water development initiative in Arequipa.
“We are proud to receive this important award, which highlights the work that Cerro Verde started in 2002 and continues to do to benefit communities and the environment,” said Julia Torreblanca, Vice President of Corporate Affairs-Cerro Verde. “It recognizes the construction of the Pillones Dam, which supports one of our priority initiatives to emphasize the availability of water, a fundamental right and a necessary resource for the population and productive activities of Arequipa.”
Dams supply water critical to area
The three dams, built since 2005, provide water needed for the operations in the arid region, stabilize rain runoff and regulate the water flowing into the Pacific Ocean. They were jointly financed by Cerro Verde, the local power company and the regional government in Arequipa.
In addition to co-financing the dams and fully funding construction of the water treatment and wastewater plants, the company assumed the costs for the water treatment plant’s first two years of operation and is committed to fully operating and maintaining the wastewater plant until the end of mine life.
The improvements contributed to a 20 percent increase in the production of renewable energy in Arequipa and allowed the expansion of thousands of acres of cultivated farmland. The area’s economy has thrived, and Arequipa now is the second most productive mining region in Peru.
The Climate Positive Award, announced at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, recognizes organizations, companies and governments that contribute to the protection of the environment, human rights, equitable development and peace. Green Cross is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1993.