AMERICA/BOLIVIA – The “ecological approach” of the exploitation of Bolivian lithium
La Paz (Agenzia Fides) – Bolivia has the biggest lithium deposits on the planet, situated within the excessive Andean plateau referred to as the “Salar de Uyuni”. In distinction to the 2 different nations within the so-called “Lithium Triangle” (Argentina and Chile), the deposits found in Bolivia in 1976 have solely been exploited since 2008, initially below the management of state-owned mining firms. This distinguishes Bolivia from Chile and Argentina, which opened the doorways to personal firms. C Lithium mining in Chile and Argentina doesn’t have strict environmental safety measures, so it might injury the encircling soil and contaminate the air. Many indigenous communities in Chile’s lithium mining areas have been pressured emigrate. With the privatization of the water provide determined by each nations, prior session of the communities and different curiosity teams is now not vital. It’s value remembering that lithium mining requires round 500,000 liters of water per ton, diverting giant water sources away from different financial actions, together with agriculture. Bolivia, which was the scene of a so-called “water battle” (the protest of the residents of Cochabamba in opposition to the privatization of their scarce water sources) in 2000, is the one nation within the Lithium Triangle with laws offering for a sustainable and truthful mining course of. Exploration started in 2008 with the development of a working pilot plant utilizing a water-saving evaporation approach. A yr later, Bolivian residents ratified a brand new structure that reshaped the state’s pact with its residents on water points. It contains the fitting to prior session on initiatives affecting indigenous communities and their territories, identifies water as a fundamental human proper, and establishes the fitting of residents to watch authorities initiatives. Bolivian regulation additionally requires that authorities revenues from pure sources be invested in social packages, schooling and the built-in improvement of indigenous peoples. The brand new structure additionally tightens the present necessities for socio-economic environmental impression assessments. The 2012 Bolivian “Mom Earth Regulation” created further rules, together with an obligation to stop and treatment environmental injury. The La Paz authorities additionally intends to capitalize on the rising international demand for lithium to increase its industrial base by not solely specializing in lithium mining and refining, but additionally with nations and industries within the Bolivian mineral electrical energy within the nation. That is additionally supposed to compensate for the anticipated drop in demand for hydrocarbons corresponding to fuel and oil, which have to date been the primary exports of the Bolivian economic system. Bolivia can also be forming alliances with different hydrocarbon producers like Mexico and regional companions like Argentina to transcend fossil fuels and collaborate on lithium extraction. Because of Bolivia’s acknowledged curiosity in growing the complete worth chain, the Bolivian and Mexican governments have collectively introduced that their state-owned firms will collaborate on the manufacturing of lithium batteries and the acquisition and export of electrical autos, together with the Bolivian Quantum electrical automobile. And in July 2022, the Bolivian and Argentine governments signed a cooperation settlement to trade applied sciences for lithium battery manufacturing. (LM) (Agenzia Fides, 18/7/2023)
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