The Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the driest regions on Earth, holds the world's largest lithium reserves, critical for lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy storage, and electronics. As global demand for lithium soars, doubling from 95,000 tonnes in 2021 to 205,000 tonnes in 2024, with projections of 900,000 tonnes by 2040, the environmental and social costs of extraction in this fragile ecosystem are coming under scrutiny. We examine the impacts of lithium mining on local communities, water scarcity, and its often disastrous impact upon local environments and communities contrary to myths of "green" energy.
Lithium extraction in the Salar de Atacama relies on pumping mineral-rich brine from underground aquifers to surface evaporation ponds, a process that consumes vast amounts of water, approximately 500,000 gallons per ton of lithium carbonate. In an already drought-prone region, exacerbated by a 15-year mega-drought, this extraction depletes groundwater reserves critical for local ecosystems and communities. Studies indicate that lithium mining, alongside copper extraction, accounts for about 50% of regional water consumption in northern Chile, with projections of a 20% increase by 2034.
Groundwater Depletion: Research from the University of Antofagasta (2020) highlights that brine extraction reduces groundwater flow, lowering the water table by over 25cm in some areas, threatening the sustainability of salt flat ecosystems. A University of Chile study reported the Atacama salt flat sinking by up to 1cm per year due to groundwater extraction.
Wetland and Lagoon Damage: The Vega de Tilopozo, once a lush wetland, is now dry and cracked, with former pools vanished. Lagoons in the Los Flamencos National Reserve have shrunk, impacting microorganisms and reducing flamingo reproduction by 11% over a decade, as these birds rely on the affected food chain.
Biodiversity Loss: The Atacama's unique ecosystems, home to three flamingo species, endemic animals, and microorganisms, face extinction risks. For example, 98% of the salt lakes' unique bacterial properties, which could aid climate adaptation or medical research, are at risk due to drought and extraction. Native algarrobo trees have seen a 30% die-off since 2013 due to mining impacts.
Lithium extraction involves chemicals like sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide, which can penetrate soil and water, contaminating ecosystems. Reports document polluted ponds and degraded soil, endangering local flora and fauna. Desalination plants, used to offset freshwater use, discharge brine into the ocean, threatening marine biodiversity near Antofagasta. These processes also contribute to CO2 emissions, with Chile's desalination plants projected to emit 700,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030, undermining the "green" credentials of lithium.
Lithiumextraction exacerbates local environmental degradation, intensifying water stress in a region already suffering from climate-induced droughts. This creates a "green extractivism" paradox, where the pursuit of low-carbon technologies sacrifices local ecosystems and communities, contradicting the broader goals of so-called climate justice.
The Lickanantay and other Indigenous communities, who have lived in the Atacama for millennia, face severe disruptions to their way of life due to lithium mining.
Water Access and Livelihoods: Communities like Peine report drastic reductions in water availability, forcing changes to drinking water, electrical, and treatment systems. Traditional agro-pastoral practices, such as sheep and llama herding, are collapsing as grasslands vanish. For example, Raquel Celina Rodriguez and Sara Plaza lament the loss of fertile lands, with Plaza stating, "I'd prefer to live off nature and have water to live."
Cultural Erosion: The drying of wetlands and lagoons threatens cultural practices tied to the land. The Lickanantay view water as central to their identity, with leaders like Sergio Cubillos asserting, "Our life is contained in that water." Mining activities, often conducted without proper consultation or consent under international standards like the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, deepen ethno-cultural fractures.
Economic Disparities: While mining brings jobs and infrastructure (e.g., schools, soccer fields), benefits are uneven. Many locals, like Luisa Jorge in Argentina's Lithium Triangle, argue that companies extract billions while communities see minimal returns. Some communities accept compensation, but others, like the Council of Atacameño Peoples, reject partnerships, prioritising water and territorial rights over short-term gains.
Green Imperialism: Critics like Francis Mandoca of the Atacama Indigenous Council argue that lithium mining replicates historical patterns of resource extraction, where Global South communities bear the costs of Global North consumption. Faviola Gonzalez notes, "Electric cars are for Europeans, Americans, not us," highlighting that Indigenous carbon footprints are minimal yet their resources are depleted.
Lack of Oversight: The Chilean state's passive role in monitoring environmental compliance, coupled with privatised water management, leaves communities vulnerable. Mining companies like SQM and Albemarle dominate data collection, creating an uneven knowledge base that disadvantages locals.
Community Resistance: The Council of Atacameño Peoples demands guaranteed water access and independent studies on long-term impacts through 2060. Protests and legal actions, such as the $47 million fine against BHP, Albemarle, and Zaldívar for aquifer depletion, reflect growing resistance.
Lithium mining in the Atacama Desert is a stark example of the environmental damage caused by the renewable energy transition. It exacerbates water scarcity, threatens biodiversity, and disrupts Indigenous livelihoods in an already stressed ecosystem. The lack of robust regulation, transparent data, and genuine community consent amplifies these issues. The "green" revolutionperpetuates environmental and social injustices, leaving communities like the Lickanantay to bear the cost of a global solution.
Humanity needs to stick with reliable fossil fuels.
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/07/20/lithium-the-new-environmental-crisis/