Adjunct Prof Michael Solomon (Chem. Eng.)

UCT Faculty: Engineering and the Built Environment · Department: Chemical Engineering

Expertise: Mining policy, Economic diversification, Economic complexity of natural resource industries; Political economy of mining

Experience relevant to Future Water:

• Long-term historical involvement in water and mining;
• Mining expert on Ministerial Water Advisory Council during Kader Asmal’s tenure;
• Sat on the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council for the Future of Mining and Metals for the entire eight-year period of its existence (Global Agenda Councils discontinued in 2017);
• During this period developed a close working relationship with the WEF World Bank Global Water Initiative based out of New York; and
• Initiated involvement of this group in Crocodile River Catchment area project in collaboration with Anglo American Platinum, other mining companies and the WRG 2030 group in SA.
• Currently working on Minecare, an aggressive initiative based within MtM-Future Water focused on the concurrent diversification of mining land, water and infrastructure. This imperative seeks to change the narrative of mine closure planning of mines to Economic Succession planning for mining properties. As water is key to every aspect of this imperative from ARD to the nexus of mining and agriculture and mitigation of climate change associated with mining, I hope to be able to play a key, active and material role in the development and evolution of the Future Water Institute.