In addition to the effective water management within the operation, the Company also supports suppliers in operating eco-friendly business and complying with relevant national and local legal requirements. The Company encourages suppliers to take part in conserving and managing water efficiently, as specified in the Sustainable Sourcing Policy and Supplier Guiding Principle. In 2023, the Company updated the self-assessment form for critical suppliers by integrating components related to water management, climate change management, and zero-deforestation in order to create incentives for suppliers who mutually recognize the importance of water stewardship, in alignment with other stakeholders. The Company is working towards the target to supporting all tier-1 suppliers identified as having high impact on water resources to develop water as well as management plans by 2030. The efforts cover policy development, internal awareness raising, water efficiency improvement, management and monitoring of results against targets. This creates sustainability in water management throughout the supply chain, decreases operational risks in both suppliers and the Company, and avoids potential impacts on surrounding communities, especially during drought periods at present and in the future.

The Company recognizes and prioritizes conserving quality water sources for communities. Therefore, several projects are implemented in collaboration with the government, private sector, communities and other relevant stakeholders. Engagement is carried out to listen and explore concerns regarding water resources as well as monitor water consumption, water quantity, and water quality in community water sources. The obtained insights show that communities need quality water sources for consumption and occupation, along with conservation, restoration, and preservation of watershed forests and water sources to maintain the ecosystem’s biodiversity.
Communities also seek support for projects that enable community’s water access by building water reservoir for usage during the dry season. Based on the feedback, the Company has created various water management-related projects for the communities, e.g. the Nam Mun River Conservation Project, Underground Water Bank Project, etc.