Abstract
The Observatory of Mining Conflicts in Latin America (Observatorio de Conflictos Mineros de América Latina) registered 191 ongoing mining-related conflicts across the Andean region as of July 6, 2022. The extractive industry has led to adverse effects vis-à-vis both environment and biodiversity (e.g., pollution) and, most importantly, local mountain communities (mainly, Indigenous Peoples) who tend to be excluded from the benefit-sharing of such mining projects and bear a number of costs, from the loss of their traditional land to other health and energy-related issues.
This chapter offers a short case study of the so-called “lithium triangle,” which is in the Andes (Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile or ABC), as an illustrative example of the challenges that mining is posing to the mountain environment and local communities. The case is chosen because lithium is a strategically vital resource whose global demand is growing exponentially, as it is a key element in battery technology, the basis of electrification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As such, the case directly touches upon SDGs 1 (no poverty); 7 (clean energy); 12 (responsible consumption and production); 13 (climate change); 15 (life on land); and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). Moreover, the case is symptomatic of issues around mining in mountain regions. The chapter offers a policy and legal analysis of the lithium extractive industry and its effects on the local reality. We point at the need for greater community participation in decision-making around lithium mining to reduce potential conflicts and ensure local benefits.