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A senior female employee from KAZ Minerals was recognised in the 2020 ‘100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining’ awards
In 1980, as a young hydrogeology and engineering geology student, Bibi-Batima Iskakova won the All-Soviet Contest for the best scientific student work. She joined the Scientific Institute of Mining Geomechanics in Kazakhstan and then took a position on an exploration expedition in the Karaganda coal basin. For eight years, Bibi-Batima carried out underground hydrogeological surveys in coal mines, work she describes as difficult, scary and exciting. “I had to go to the most remote corners of mine workings in order to understand where the water flows from and in what direction. In old workings, where the roof was sagging, I had to crawl on my knees. I had a fear of the dark and a fear of getting into a gas trap, but I overcame those fears,” she says.
Today, although Bibi-Batima’s tools and approach have changed, her goals are the same: to understand the processes occurring in the subsoil and make the right decisions to reduce the impact of groundwater in mine workings and ensure the safety of workers.
‘‘The biggest problem is a lack of well-trained personnel, especially hydrogeologists. In this country, this profession is not in high demand due to lack of understanding of its importance, especially in the mining industry. We need to raise the prestige of this profession, to train highly specialised mine hydrogeologists who know the specifics of mining, understand the processes taking place in the rock massif and who can correctly assess the risks associated with groundwater.’’