As part of the activities of the research project “Evaluation of the potential for recovering critical minerals present in mining waste: sustainable and strategic mining,” funded by the CEDIA R&D&i Fund, technicians from the Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) are conducting sampling campaigns and gathering information on tailings piles in the province of El Oro.
Eng. Karla Villamar, M.Sc., and Eng. Yandry Bermello lead the fieldwork, which is a fundamental phase in generating scientific information that will enable the potential for recovering critical minerals to be assessed and contribute to the responsible and sustainable management of these areas.
The project is led by FICT professors Samantha Jiménez, Ph.D., and Priscila Valverde, Ph.D., and seeks to provide strategic solutions aimed at more sustainable mining, based on scientific evidence and the efficient use of resources present in mining waste.
This initiative aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs 9 – Industry, innovation, and infrastructure; SDGs 12 – Responsible consumption and production; SDGs 13 – Climate action; and SDGs 17 – Partnerships for the goals, reaffirming the institutional commitment to applied research, sustainability, and the development of scientific solutions for the mining sector.
