The webinar “Circular Economy, Sustainable Development and Resource Efficiency” was held as part of the Horizon HEI4S3-RM project. The lecture was delivered by Hernan Flores, a researcher at the George Agricola Technical University (Germany). Flores is a specialist in groundwater management and geophysical engineering.
The lecturer gave an overview of the current state of natural resource management and explained its importance for the global course towards a sustainable economy. Hernan Flores explained the concept of critical raw materials and rare earth elements, explaining their role in building climate-neutral production. The speaker paid special attention to mine waste management and responsible mining procedures.
Hernan Flores drew the audience’s attention to the fact that the growth of the world’s population in 2060 will require at least a doubling of food consumption, fuel, metals and minerals production. In order to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050, it will be necessary to increase the use of critical raw materials by 6 times in 2040 compared to today’s volume. After all, the construction of electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and energy-efficient lighting systems requires a significant amount of metals. This poses additional threats to the environment and society, as active mining causes the generation of large amounts of mine waste and water pollution.
The scientist spoke in detail about the latest methods of mineral prospecting, such as hyperspectral detection of minerals, the use of satellites, drones, and multisensory technologies by geologists. Hernan Flores presented effective methods for monitoring the quality of surface and groundwater, the chemical composition of industrial waste, and the specifics of their management to build a better and safer future for all people.