Green Tech's Hidden Cost: How Lithium Mining Dries Up Chile's Salt Flats

Raquel Celina Rodriguez walks carefully across the Vega de Tilopozo in Chile's Atacama salt flats, remembering when the land was green and full of life. Now, the ground is dry and cracked, and the pools that once dotted the plain have disappeared. Her family has raised sheep here for generations, but with less rain and less grass, it has become much harder. Raquel says things got even worse when lithium companies started taking water from the ground. Lithium is a metal found under the salt flats, and it is very important for making batteries for electric cars, laptops, and solar panels. As the world tries to use more renewable energy, the demand for lithium has grown quickly. In 2021, about 95,000 tonnes of lithium were used worldwide, but by 2024, that number had more than doubled. Experts predict that by 2040, the world will need over 900,000 tonnes of lithium, mostly for electric car batteries.

Chile is the world's second-largest producer of lithium, after Australia. In 2023, the government started a National Lithium Strategy to increase production, partly by nationalizing the industry and encouraging private investment. A major step was taken this year when a joint venture between SQM and the state mining company Codelco received approval to extract at least 2. 5 million metric tonnes of lithium from 2031 to 2060. The government says these plans will help fight climate change and bring income to the country. Mining companies extract lithium by pumping brine from beneath the salt flats to evaporation pools on the surface, a process that uses a lot of water in an already dry region.

Faviola Gonzalez, a biologist from the local indigenous community, monitors environmental changes in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. She has seen the lagoons shrink and the number of flamingos decrease. Flamingos rely on microorganisms in the water for food, so when the water disappears, the whole food chain is affected. Faviola noticed a small success this year when a few flamingo chicks hatched, which she attributes to a slight reduction in water extraction, but she says it is not enough. The underground water comes from the Andes and replenishes slowly, so taking too much out means there is little left to recharge the salt flats.

A study from the University of Chile found that brine extraction is causing the salt flats to decline by 1 to 2 centimeters per year. The OECD also warned that water pressures from lithium mining are already severe and will spread as extraction increases. Mining has also damaged local plants, like the carob trees, which started dying due to mining impacts. Some reports say lithium mining is making water less available for plants, animals, and people, though it is hard to find definitive proof.

Mining companies say they are trying to reduce their impact. SQM, one of the main firms, says it is working with communities and testing new technologies to use less water. They are piloting methods to extract lithium directly from brine without evaporation pools and to capture and re-inject evaporated water. They hope these technologies will allow them to increase production while reducing water use by at least 50 percent.

However, many locals remain skeptical. They feel their land is being used as a laboratory for new technology and worry about what will happen when the mining ends. Sara Plaza, another local, remembers water levels dropping as early as 2005 and says mining companies never stopped extracting. She is concerned about the future, wondering what people will do when the water and agriculture are gone. She says she would rather have water and nature than money from the companies.

The community has had to change its drinking water, electricity, and water treatment systems because of shortages. Sergio Cubillos, head of the Peine community, says most decisions are made far away in Santiago, and he wants the government to involve indigenous people in these choices. He understands the importance of lithium for renewable energy but does not want his community to be a bargaining chip.

The Atacama salt flats are a case study for a global dilemma. Climate change is causing droughts, but mining for lithium to fight climate change is also causing environmental problems. Some argue that mining brings jobs and money, but many locals say it disrupts their traditional way of life. They do not want more money; they want to protect their land and water. They question why they must pay the price for clean energy that benefits people elsewhere.

Locals hope new technology can help, but they worry about the long-term impact on their home and future generations. They want their voices heard and their environment protected as the world races to produce more green technology.