To all prospective delegates: Please be sure to read the ENTIRE Final Announcement which contains ALL conference details.

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Welcome Note

South Africa, together with the rest of Africa, represents a critical resource for a wide range of minerals to drive the world economy. South Africa has a long history of mining and has limited natural water resources, leading to a situation where it also has a number of significant mine water related challenges. With over 10 000 km² of hydraulically interlinked coal mines and over 300 km of interlinked gold mines, mine water challenges are not only at local mine level but at regional level too.

South African water legislation is a leader in the world and was recognised as such through the awarding of the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize to a previous Minister of Water Affairs – Prof. Kader Asmal - for developing “the world’s most comprehensive and visionary piece of water legislation”. This legislation and the scarce water resource, coupled with the legacies of mining and the need to manage ongoing mining activities, has resulted in South Africa occupying the forefront in many aspects of mine water management, particularly with regard to managing mine water quality.

The International Mine Water Conference, hosted jointly by the Water Institute of Southern Africa’s Mine Water Division and the International Mine Water Association will enable persons throughout the world who have an interest in mine water management to Learn firsthand how these 21st century challenges are being tackled. Not only will there be an outstanding technical programme covering unique local and international developments in the field of mine water management, there will also be enlightening pre-conference technical workshops and exciting post-conference technical tours to visit novel mine water management facilities at major operational mining sites.

As South Africa is also an outstanding tourist destination and the Conference has been specifically timed to take advantage of the beauty of springtime, a range of post-conference tours to key South African attractions will also be arranged. I look forward to meeting you in South Africa in October 2009.

William Pulles, Chairman: Conference Organising Committee