Living through the ‘white gold’ boom – How people live in South America’s ‘lithium triangle’

Teofila Cayo Calcina, a 56-year-old quinoa farmer in the village of Calcha K, Bolivia, is concerned about the impact of lithium mining on her village’s water supply. The village is located near the world’s largest salt flat, Salar of Uyuni, in the Potosí region of the Bolivian Andes. This area recently caught the attention of the global green industry because of its large deposits of lithium, a light metal found in the brines of salt flats, which is a critical ingredient in the manufacturing of electric car batteries.

The population of the village, which is around 400 people, majority speak the ancient Inca language, Quechua. The villagers are mostly reliant on farming quinoa, a variety native to their region, and herding llamas. The Uyuni salt flat stretches for over 10,500sq km, slightly larger than Lebanon, and attracts tourists worldwide with its unique landscape.

Recent geological discoveries revealed a deposit of two million tonnes of lithium in the Potosí district, prompting a re-evaluation of Bolivia’s lithium reserves. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Bolivia now reportedly has approximately 23 million tonnes of lithium, two million tonnes more than previously thought. This discovery positions Bolivia as the world’s leading lithium depositor, followed by Argentina with 22 million tonnes and Chile with 11 million tonnes.

Lithium is a key ingredient in the production of electric car batteries, a booming industry as the world turns away from fossil fuels. Bolivia’s President Luis Arce plans to commence exporting batteries by the end of 2026, leveraging the country’s vast lithium reserves. The discovery has intensified the global rush for the “white gold” found in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile, forming the “Lithium Triangle”.

While this discovery comes with economic benefits, people like Calcina express concern over the environmental impact of lithium mining. They fear that the mining activities might leave their community without sufficient water to survive. Both locals and environmentalists worry that while the ‘Lithium Triangle’ might serve the green industries, it may leave the local communities in adverse conditions.