New IDS research shows that out of 120 active mineral mine projects in Argentina and Chile, over 50 percent (61) are in conflict. In Chile, the majority of mineral mines are in conflict, with indigenous peoples in many cases, who are left to risk their wellbeing to protest against the lithium and copper mining in order to protect their lands and the environment.
Indigenous peoples v mining projects
The new research published today highlights that this resistance against the environmental and social problems caused by mining activities comes at significant costs for the local communities. It argues that instead of leaving indigenous peoples and civil society groups to enter into conflict against the mining projects, governments need to establish formal governance processes, providing proactive long-term negotiations and democratic processes. Without it, it warns that the mineral mining at the scale required for the global energy transition won’t be achievable.
The demand for critical minerals such as lithium and copper, needed for electric vehicles and wind farms, is predicted to increase up to 500 percent in the next ten years as the global energy transition required to combat climate gathers pace. In Chile, the world’s leading provider of copper and second of lithium (after Australia), the research found that around US$12 billion of investments – 80 percent of total investments submitted to the Environmental Authority (SEA) – were contested by civil society between 1998 and 2022, with 1 in 5 (21 percent) currently held up in the justice system.
Globally, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an estimated 54 percent of energy transition minerals are located on or near indigenous peoples’ land, underscoring the need for robust and early community engagement. Over 80 percent of lithium projects and more than half of nickel, copper and zinc projects are located in the territories of indigenous peoples.
Anabel Marin, Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and author of the report, said:
“The entire governance frameworks of natural resources need to be re-designed, bringing a proactive and democratic approach to a vital economic area. By involving local people at an early stage and co-creating policies for mining projects, governments can avoid costly conflicts.
“This transformation in how the mining of minerals is managed is vital in order to move from fossil fuels to cleaner energy. Without it the energy transition will be unjust, environmentally unsustainable and unachievable.”
The research report makes clear that the scale of the challenge to resolve mining conflicts is vast but including citizens in co-producing the investment policies for critical minerals, instead of leaving them to act as a watchdog to prevent environmental and social harm, is the best chance there is for a just energy transition.
The most well-known adverse effects include air and water pollution, land clearing, soil erosion, destruction of biodiversity, health-related issues, and reduced community cohesion in mining areas (de Valck et al., 2021; Orimoloye and Ololade, 2020; Siqueira-Gay et al., 2020).
Research by consultancy MSCI has found that 89% of copper, 79% of lithium, 97% of nickel and 68% of cobalt resources in the US are within 35 miles of Native American reservations, or the areas recognised by the government as the ancestral lands of the country's 574 tribes.
These conflict minerals are tin, tantalum, tungsten (the “3 T's”) and gold which are mined in eastern Congo and are in all consumer electronics products, as well as products from the jewelry, automotive, aerospace, medical equipment, and many other industries.
Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere through carbon emissions which contributes to climate change.
Discovery of gold flakes in the millstream sets off the California Gold Rush. The influx of miners brings diseases that kill thousands of Native peoples. Miners also commit widespread acts of violence against Native villages and Native peoples throughout California and Oregon.
Conflict minerals are natural resources extracted from conflict-affected areas by armed groups. Tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (often called 3TG) are the four minerals currently considered conflict minerals by the U.S. and the EU.
The Conflict Minerals Regulation aims to help stem the trade in four minerals – tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold – which sometimes finance armed conflict or are mined using forced labour.
The regulation took effect in January 2021, and directly applies to certain companies that mineral ores, concentrates and processed metals containing or consisting of 3TG into the EU from conflict-affected or high-risk areas.
Mines release harmful substances into the air and water, and can cause serious health issues if inhaled or consumed. Mines also release acidic water, which can kill marine life and make freshwater unsuitable for drinking.
Originally sparked by the gold rush in the 19th century, Australian mining has shaped the economy, attracting big investments and helping with technology. Over the years, the global market has fluctuated, technology has evolved, and political and environmental scenarios have changed.
Colonisation severely disrupted Aboriginal society and economy—epidemic disease caused an immediate loss of life, and the occupation of land by settlers and the restriction of Aboriginal people to 'reserves' disrupted their ability to support themselves.
But just as gold rushes could encourage great energy and productivity, they could also be incredibly destructive. Gold rushes devastated the natural environment, created great confusion and disorder, and adversely affected Indigenous and other communities whose lands the miners invaded.”
Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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