Mining

March 21 2025 Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Freshwater Sources

Why is lithium mining in Andean salt flats also called water mining?

By Víctor Quintanilla, David Cañas and Javier Oviedo* According to official figures, approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to drinking water.Despite this panorama, threats to this common good from overexploitation and pollution are increasing. One such threat is the accelerated extraction of lithium in Latin American countries, driven by corporate and state actors to meet the energy transition needs of the global North.Lithium extraction involves enormous water consumption and loss and is essentially water mining.On the continent, the advance of the lithium industry particularly threatens the salt flats and other Andean wetlands of the Gran Atacama region—located in the ecological region of the Puna, on the border of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile—where more than 53 percent of the mineral’s resources (potentially exploitable material) are located.Lithium mining exacerbates the natural water deficit in the area, threatening not only the salt flats, but also the many forms of life that live there. Where does the water used in lithium mining come from?First, it’s necessary to point out that salt flats are aquatic ecosystems located at the bottom of endorheic or closed basins. There, rivers do not flow into the sea but into the interior of the territory, so the water forms lakes or lagoons often accompanied by salt flats due to evaporation.In the salt flats, freshwater and saltwater usually coexist in a delicate balance that allows life to survive.The regions with salt flats, such as the Gran Atacama, are arid or semi-arid, with high evaporation and low rainfall. There we find freshwater aquifers at the foot of the mountains and brine aquifers in the center of the salt flats, both connected and in equilibrium.Brine is basically water with a high salt content, although the lithium mining industry considers it a mineral to justify its exploitation and minimize the water footprint of its activities.In addition to being essential for life, the waters of the salt flats are a heritage resource because they are very old—up to tens of thousands of years—and have been the livelihood of the indigenous people who have inhabited the Puna for thousands of years.When the mining industry moves into a salt flat, it threatens the natural balance and directly affects the relationship between water and the social environment, as well as the relationship between water and other forms of life.To extract lithium from a salt flat, the traditional procedure is to drill the salt flat, pour the brine into large ponds, wait for the water to evaporate so that the lithium concentration increases, send the lithium concentrate to an industrial plant and subject it to chemical treatment to separate the lithium from other salts and finally obtain lithium carbonate or hydroxide: a raw material used mainly in the manufacture of batteries.The continuous and large-scale extraction of brine from saline aquifers alters the natural balance of groundwater. As a result, areas that were previously filled with brine are emptied, causing freshwater from nearby aquifers to move in and occupy those spaces, becoming salinized in the process.The final processes to extract lithium carbonate and separate it from the rest of the compound also require water, which is drawn from surface or underground sources that also supply local communities.Therefore, the water used in lithium mining comes from:Underground freshwater and brine aquifers.Surface sources such as rivers and vegas (land where water accumulates). Therefore, the inherent risk of lithium mining is the overexploitation of these water sources. How much water does lithium mining use?The extraction of lithium by the methods described above involves an enormous consumption and loss of water, which is not returned to the environment because it completely used up, because its properties change, or because it is simply lost through evaporation.According to scientific data, the average water overconsumption in lithium mining is as follows:150 m3 of fresh water used to produce one ton of lithium.350 m3 of brine per ton of lithium.Between 100 and 1000 m3 of water evaporated per ton of lithium produced. To illustrate the loss of water resources in lithium mining, the water lost to evaporation is equivalent to the total water consumption of the population of Antofagasta (166,000 people) for two years. This Chilean city is located 200 km from the Salar de Atacama, where more than 90 percent of the country's lithium reserves are located.In addition to water depletion, lithium mining can also contaminate the resource by producing wastewater containing toxic substances. Our vital relationship with waterUnlike the mining industry, which sees water as just another resource to be exploited, the indigenous communities living in the area have an ancestral connection to the resource on which their economic and productive activities depend, as well as their customs, traditions and worldview.These communities must now confront the pressures on water from the advance of lithium mining, driven by outside interests.But they are doing so with courage, developing processes of defense of water and territory.Let us learn from them to defend a common good without which no way of life is possible.Learn more about the impacts of lithium mining on Andean salt flats in this StoryMap (in Spanish)Watch the recording of the webinar “Evidence of hyperconsumption of water in lithium extraction and production” (in Spanish) *Víctor Quintanilla is AIDA's Content Coordinator; David Cañas and Javier Oviedo are scientific advisors.

March 10 2025 Climate Change, Freshwater Sources, Mining

Declaration of a Temporary Reserve Area in the Santurbán Páramo is a victory for the defense of water in Latin America

Civil society organizations celebrate the measure taken by the Colombian Ministry of the Environment, which involves a two year suspension of Canadian company Aris Mining's gold mining project in the páramo.Bogotá, Colombia. The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) - Mining and Trade Project, MiningWatch Canada, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Common Frontiers Canada celebrate the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development’s (MADS) resolution that declares the western side of the Santurbán massif a temporary renewable natural resource reserve area. This major step strengthens the protection of one of the most emblematic high-altitude Andean wetlands, known as páramo, and its related ecosystems, which are fundamental for climate change adaptation and water security in the region for an estimated 2 million people.Resolution 0221, issued on March 3, 2025 by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADS), delimits and protects an area of 75,344.65 hectares, ensuring a two year provisional suspension of the Soto Norte gold mining project owned by Canadian company Aris Mining and its Colombian subsidiary, Sociedad Minera de Santander S.A.S. (Minesa), which puts Santurbán at risk. Citing the precautionary principle, the resolution prohibits the granting of “new mining concessions, special exploration and exploitation contracts, (...) as well as new environmental permits or licenses for the exploration or exploitation of minerals” in the area until the necessary technical studies are carried out toward its definitive protection. This resolution does not affect agricultural, livestock or tourism activity in the area.However, we are concerned that the resolution leaves in force the concession contract with Calimineros, which has had a subcontract with Minesa to formalize [its small-scale mining activities] since 2020, and from which Minesa promises to buy and process mineralized material. We encourage the competent authorities to suspend evaluation of its environmental license application and extension of the formalization subcontract, due to potential environmental impacts on Santurbán and because it is effectively part of the Soto Norte project.The páramo and related ecosystems are highly sensitive, recognized for their role in water regulation, carbon capture, and the conservation of endemic biodiversity. The removal of vegetation cover and the fragmentation of ecosystems that mining in Santurbán would generate could affect the ecological balance, biodiversity, and the provision of ecosystem services essential for life; acidify and reduce the amount of available fresh-water; and break the ecological interconnectivity with other biomes and ecosystems, destroying their capacity to sequester carbon and causing irreparable damage.For these reasons, we appreciate that the resolution seeks to prevent mining development in this highly sensitive and environmentally important area, preventing degradation of the watersheds that arise from Santurbán and preserving the water cycle.Sebastián Abad-Jara, an attorney for AIDA, pointed out that "by protecting Santurbán, Colombia ratifies its commitment to meet global environmental goals in terms of biodiversity, climate and wetlands, and sets a high bar for the governments of other countries where these ecosystems are similarly threatened by mining activity, such as Peru and Ecuador.""We celebrate this declaration as an important first step toward the consolidation of the western side of the Santurbán massif as a permanent reserve area, definitively protecting this important water source, vital for all who depend on it," said Jen Moore, associate fellow at IPS - Mining and Trade Project.Viviana Herrera, Latin America Program Coordinator for MiningWatch Canada, added that "this resolution is the result of the Committee for the Defence of Water and Páramo of Santurbán’s hard work, which has faced harassment and intimidation for its work in defense of the páramo, as well as disinformation campaigns about the supposed harmful effects of the resolution on agricultural activity."AIDA, IPS-Mining and Trade Project, MiningWatch Canada, CIEL and Common Frontiers Canada support the adoption of this protection measure for Santurbán. We also encourage the national and local government to carry out the necessary technical studies for its definitive protection, and to take preventive measures to avoid the cumulative environmental impacts of mining in the area given other projects that already have mining licenses. Furthermore, we reiterate the urgency of adopting measures to protect environment defenders in Colombia who stand up for the páramo.The Santurbán experience provides valuable lessons and should serve as an example to promote legislation for environmental protection in Latin America that focuses on the human right to water and the balance and integrity of fragile ecosystems, such as the páramo and other high-altitude ecosystems.#OurGoldIsWater Press contactsVictor Quintanilla (Mexico), AIDA, [email protected], +5215570522107Jennifer Moore, IPS, [email protected], +12027049011 (prensa IPS)Viviana Herrera, Mining Watch Canada, [email protected], +14389931264Alexandra Colón-Amil, CIEL, [email protected], +12024550253

Restos de carbón a varios kilómetros del lugar de extracción en La Jagua de Ibirico, departamento del Cesar, Colombia

February 10 2025 Human Rights, Mining

Colombia: Communities and workers win first court ruling on coal mine closure that protects their rights

The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) celebrates the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Colombia, which recognizes the rights to due process and participation of communities and workers in the closure of coal mining projects in the department of Cesar. This ruling comes after years of insistence by these groups, who filed a tutela lawsuit. In this case, AIDA contributed with a legal brief that includes the analysis it has conducted on the issue of closure and responsible exit in Latin America, from the perspective of the right to a healthy environment and other human rights.Below, we share the statement of the communities and workers on the occasion of the ruling.The Constitutional Court of Colombia issued the first ruling on mine closures in the country (T-029 of 2025). It guaranteed due process and, consequently, the effective participation of the communities and unions representing more than 20,000 people in the more than four municipalities affected by the environmental, social and economic impacts of the first irregular abandonment and closure of large-scale coal mines in Colombia.We, a group of affected communities and dismissed workers from Cesar and Magdalena, have led a legal action for more than four years to ensure a public dialogue through a large consultation table where the communities, dismissed workers, local authorities and the affected citizens in general of the mining municipalities of La Jagua, El Paso, Becerril and Ciénaga can know and participate in the definition of compensation and restoration measures that the multinational Glencore - Prodeco must carry out in these municipalities as part of its mining abandonment and closure plan, which is in the process of being approved by the National Environmental Licensing Authority (ANLA).In this ruling, the court determined that the Seventh Administrative Court of Valledupar violated the fundamental right to due process by considering that the multinational company had complied with this participation process with a SINGLE socialization meeting held in November 2022 in these municipalities, which is clearly insufficient and does not comply with what was agreed in the minutes of the meeting, where the commitment of the parties was to convene the GREAT TABLE OF DIALOGUE AND CONCERTATION in the presence of the affected population of these four municipalities.The court ordered to initiate again the opening of the contempt proceeding against the legal representative of Grupo Empresarial PRODECO S.A. and to review the compliance with the judgment and the agreement contained in these minutes.We, as communities and unions of the mining corridor, supported by national and international civil society organizations, and represented in court by attorney Rocío Torres Bobadilla, consider that this public roundtable may be the last opportunity for us to make a balance of what has happened in our territories after 25 years of exploitation and achieve measures for Glencore to compensate and restore all the impacts caused.Therefore:We invite Glencore - Prodeco to a constructive dialogue, to avoid evasive maneuvers and to respect the importance of this judicial decision.We request the Colombian State, headed by the ANLA, the DEFENSORIA and the PROCURADURÍA to accompany us in this process, support this judicial decision and strengthen our protection measures to guarantee our safety as leaders in this process to comply with this ruling.We request national and international organizations to continue supporting us to guarantee a real and effective participation and that this GREAT CONCERTATION TABLE is fulfilled. Finally, we ask the entire population of the country and especially of the municipalities of La Jagua, Becerril, El Paso and Ciénaga to accompany us, support us and join us in a great process to DEFEND THIS JUDICIAL DECISION which is HISTORIC for our territory in order to restore and compensate the serious environmental and social impacts caused by the irregular mining closure and to find measures to address the great poverty and unemployment we are experiencing.Join us to be heard, to heal our territories and to recover our economy.Signed byJunta de acción comunal de BoquerónConsejo Comunitario Afrodescendiente Coafrovis de la Victoria de San IsidroRed de Mujeres del Municipio del Paso Asamblea Campesina del Cesar por la Restitución y el Buen Vivir Asociación de Usuarios Campesinos (ANUC) el Paso Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores del Carbón (Sintracarbón) Sindicato Nacional de los Trabajadores de la Industria Minero-Energética (Sintraminergetica) Sindicato Nacional de los Trabajadores Mineros Asociación del Reguardo Sokorhpa del Pueblo Indígena Yukpa Consejo Comunitario Caño Candela de Becerril Junta de Acción Comunal del Barrio Don Jaca en Santa Marta Corregimiento de Cordobita en Ciénaga (Madgalena) Vereda el Hatillo Representante Junta de Acción Comunal Sororia de la Jagua de Ibirico Centro de Estudios para la Justicia Social Tierra Digna Rocío Torres Bobadilla- environmental rights defender National and international organizations and defenders that SUPPORT US:Universidad del Magdalena Universidad del Magdalena Clínica Jurídica Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA)London Mining Network PAX Holanda PAX Colombia CNV InternationaalSolifonds Multiwatch ASK Switzerland-Colombia Working GroupUrgewald Polen –Transiciones JustasAna Catalina Herrara - labor rights defenderÁngela Velandia Cruz – human rights defender

January 31 2025 Climate Change, Human Rights, Freshwater Sources

Life in Andean wetlands at risk from extractivism

The expansion of industrial extraction of lithium and other minerals for the energy transition of the global north threatens wetlands in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. These delicate ecosystems are an abundant source of life and fundamental for human subsistence, environmental balance and for mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis.The Andean wetlands - including salt flats, lakes and lagoons - of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile are at serious risk due to the advance of the extraction of lithium and other minerals demanded for the energy transition in the countries of the global north. The Andean Wetlands Alliance warns of this threat to these ecosystems where life abounds and which are key to human subsistence and biodiversity in general and to the fight against the climate crisis.This year, the Convention on Wetlands proposes as the theme for World Wetlands Day: “Protecting wetlands for our common future”. This theme highlights the importance of collective action to protect these ecosystems, on which the future of humanity depends.According to United Nations data, although they cover only 6% of the earth's surface, wetlands are home to 40% of all plant and animal species. And, worldwide, more than 1 billion people (one eighth of the Earth's population) live in rural and urban areas that depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods. However, with a 35% global loss in the last 50 years (since 1970), wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem, disappearing three times faster than forests.In Latin America, the Andean wetlands of the Gran Atacama region - located in the border area of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile - are home to unique species of flora and fauna, especially adapted to extreme climatic conditions, as well as microorganisms that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Its high capacity to purify and store water guarantees the supply of the resource for communities and species, also generating conditions for adaptation to the climate crisis.However, due to the presence of large quantities of lithium in these wetlands - the three countries concentrate more than 53% of the resources (potentially exploitable material) of the mineral - there is great pressure on them: corporate and state actors have developed a growing and massive mining industry to meet the demand for lithium in the global north, oriented to the manufacture of electric vehicles and energy storage from renewable sources, among other purposes.On the other hand, national and provincial governments see the industry as an opportunity to attract investment and strengthen their economies, for which they relax or poorly implement regulations that require an adequate analysis of the environmental and social impacts of projects. Likewise, there are no processes of consultation and free, prior and informed consent with the indigenous communities living in the territories. Nor are the rights of access to information, citizen participation, access to justice in environmental matters, or a safe environment for environmental defenders guaranteed.One of the main impacts of this type of mining (lithium extraction) is on water, a central element of Andean wetlands. Lithium is extracted from the water beneath the salt flats, a process that requires both saltwater and freshwater. Andean wetlands exist in regions where survival depends on the scarce water that defines them. The expansion of extractivism in the Gran Atacama regionArgentinaAccording to official data, the country has a portfolio of more than 50 lithium projects in different stages of progress, mainly located in the provinces of Salta, Catamarca and Jujuy. Three of them are in production and export stage (a fourth project started production in July 2024), four are under construction and more than 40 are at different stages of progress (prospecting/exploration/feasibility), mostly in advanced exploration phase. In Salta and Jujuy operate large companies such as Pan American Energy, Pluspetrol and Tecpetrol, historically linked to the oil and gas industry, which are now expanding their presence in renewable energy sectors, with a marked interest in lithium extraction.However, through an amparo action filed against the authorities and government of the province of Jujuy, it has come to light that there are more than 40 mining projects in the Salinas Grandes Basin and Guayatayoc Lagoon alone, an endorheic basin where more than thirty native communities belonging to the Kolla and Atacama peoples/nations live. To date, their progress and whether there are other projects is unknown because access to public environmental information is restricted and is not provided in a complete and timely manner, in breach of national regulations and international standards. In the Salar del Hombre Muerto, Catamarca, is the oldest lithium mining enclave in the country. The salt flat has been exploited since 1996 by the company Livent (now Arcadium Lithium), causing the total and irreversible drying up of the vega of the Trapiche River. In March 2024, the Supreme Court of Catamarca ordered a halt to mining activity in this salar until a cumulative environmental impact assessment is conducted. BoliviaIn the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world, resources of 23 million tons of lithium have been identified. And there are 26 other salt flats that, by regulation, are reserved for the exploitation of the mineral; exploration activities are being carried out in six of them. In Bolivia, lithium is state-owned. The country has a state-owned exploitation plant that began operating in 2024 at 20% of its capacity. In 2012 and 2018, two public consultations were held for state-owned plants, but these excluded indigenous and native communities with titled collective lands. Some communities have informally denounced a significant depletion of springs and water wells. The degradation of the Salar de Chalviri and the overexploitation of lithium and boron in the Salar de Capina have also been denounced.Since 2023, agreements have been signed and exploration and camp installation activities have begun with one Russian and two Chinese companies. These agreements have resulted in two contracts, signed at the end of 2024 and pending approval by the Legislative Assembly, with the Russian company Uranium One Group for a plant in the Salar de Uyuni and with the Chinese consortium CBC Hong Kong (CATL-BRUMP-CMOC companies) for two other plants in the same salar. Also at the end of last year, a second international call was launched for the exploitation of four other salt flats (Empexa, Capina, Cañapa and Chiguana), which has resulted in the signing of agreements with the companies EAU Lithium Pty Ltd (Australia), Tecpetrol S.A. (Argentina) and Geolith Actaris (France). These agreements, contracts and processes have been developed without prior consultation processes and with a lack of transparency. ChileThe Salar de Atacama basin is home to more than 90% of Chile's lithium reserves and was one of the first to be exploited by the mining industry. Currently, there are four major mining operations in the Salar Atacama, located in the Antofagasta Region: lithium extraction by Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) and Albemaerle, under contracts with the Corporación de Fomento de la Producción (CORFO), which involves the extraction of more than 2,000 liters of water per second; and the parallel extraction of copper by Minera Escondida and Minera Zaldívar, which extract more than 1,400 liters of fresh water per second, aggravating the already critical water crisis in the area. The Atacameño Community of Peine, who live in the salar basin, has taken legal action denouncing the overexploitation of their aquifers, while in Calama, citizen movements are demanding water governance in the face of uncontrolled extraction by mining companies. In 2015, a government-appointed committee recognized that brine extraction has adverse effects on the ecosystem, but instead of regulating its use, it confirmed the government's long-standing policy of regulating lithium production.In Chile, the government has exclusive property rights over lithium under Decree Law 2886 (1979). This means that state institutions, particularly CORFO, set the conditions under which private companies operate in the salars. In 1979, following U.S. directives, the Chilean government - the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet - declared lithium a “strategic mineral” and took measures to safeguard long-term reserves by limiting production through quotas accredited by the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission.The National Lithium Strategy, launched in 2023, seeks to expand state exploitation, including new projects in the Maricunga and Pedernales salt flats. Chile concentrates 36% of global lithium production and, with at least 31 new green hydrogen projects in the pipeline, pressure on water resources will increase exponentially. It is known that, since 2013, on SQM's property, 32.4% of the carob trees (Prosopis chilenis) have dried up due to lack of water. The carob tree is a native tree, resistant to drought and with very deep roots that allow it to survive in this environment. Press contacts Víctor Quintanilla, Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), [email protected], +52 5570522107Rocío Wischñevsky, Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), Argentina, [email protected], +54 1159518538Verónica Gostissa, Asamblea Pucará (Argentina), [email protected], +54 93834771717Juan Donoso, Formando Rutas (Chile), [email protected], +4915780743628

January 20 2025 Climate Change, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights

Let's talk about project closure and responsible exit

No mining, fossil fuel extraction or power generation project lasts forever. Their useful life is determined by internal factors, such as the quantity of resource reserves, and external factors, such as declining demand or financial problems.But no matter how long a project lasts or how it is affected, its promoters—whether public or private—must provide for a closure and responsible exit process that considers the natural environment and affected communities, and that is desired and promoted by all stakeholders.This issue is even more relevant in the context of actions needed to address the climate crisis, largely related to the energy transition, which generally implies the substitution of fossil fuel extraction and use projects, as well as the promotion of low-emission renewable energies associated with mineral extraction. In both scenarios, closure and exit issues are of great importance.In the first, it is necessary to incorporate concrete and enforceable commitments to close down and move on from existing projects. In the second, these requirements should be built in from the planning and pre-feasibility stages and should also be included in the environmental impact assessments and subsequent stages.In all projects, the role of the promoters is essential. Likewise, the obligation of the state to supervise and monitor is of great importance in order to protect and guarantee the rights of those who may be affected. In some cases, the responsible exit also includes other key actors that are part of the value and supply chains of the projects: investors, financiers, insurers, suppliers, distributors and buyers, among others.Therefore, the discussion of project closure and responsible exit is essential to environmental protection and climate management in Latin America.What do we mean by project closure and exit?All mining and energy projects have different phases in their life cycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, closure, and post-closure. In turn, they have supply and value chains that, as we have said, involve actors from different sectors.In this context, closure refers to the stage of a project in which it ceases to operate and is terminated. Exit, on the other hand, refers to the decision and subsequent process in which the different actors in the project's value and supply chain, in their own roles, completely disengage from the project. What does it mean for a closing and exit process to be responsible?There is currently no consensus on the definition and scope of responsible exit and fair project closure processes. Sometimes these terms are used indiscriminately, which can lead to confusion about the responsibilities of the actors involved and the scope of the processes to be carried out. However, there are elements that allow these concepts to be explained precisely:Responsible and fair project closure is a planned, upfront process that should be considered from the earliest stages of a project and continually updated as the project evolves. Responsible closure ensures a planned, coordinated and participatory cessation of activities and dismantling, and guarantees the right to a healthy environment.The planning and development of a closure plan should focus on risk management as well as impact prevention and mitigation. This will ensure a responsible closure in which the affected areas can be readapted and made safe for both nature and communities, while allowing the ecosystems to recover their functions.The general obligation of the project developer is to properly identify the impacts that the project may cause and to adequately and timely comply with the measures approved by the State in its environmental management instruments.The main obligation of the State (in addition to its general regulatory duty) is to supervise and monitor the project to verify compliance with the developer's obligations and to prevent environmental and/or social damage.The role of other actors in the value and supply chain is to act with due diligence, to use their influence to encourage the promoter to comply with its obligations and, in the event of non-compliance, to act within their role and influence to ensure that the necessary corrective measures are taken.Responsible and fair exit refers to the process undertaken by the various actors in the value and supply chain when they decide to fully divest from a project, considering the responsibilities inherent in their role, which include fulfilling their obligations with respect to human rights and due diligence.In Latin America, there has been important progress in regulating aspects related to the permitting, commissioning and implementation of mining and energy projects. However, experience has shown that there are significant challenges in ensuring that the closure and exit processes are responsible for the ecosystems and communities involved.To learn more about this issue, see our report Closure and Responsible Exit. A requirement for environmental and climate justice in Latin America (in Spanish).

December 14 2024 Human Rights, Mining, Public Participation

European Union regulations and strategies jeopardize a just energy transition in Latin America

Reducing the production and consumption of minerals and deepening its circularity policy could enable the EU to address the social and environmental crises equitably, without exacerbating inequalities or compromising human well-being in the areas of the Global South where minerals are extracted. Brussels, Belgium – Following EU Raw Materials Week, which convened in Brussels this week, civil society organizations in Latin America warned that European Union regulations fail to respect the rights of communities affected or at risk of being impacted by mineral extraction projects used for energy transition and other industries, deepening inequalities in the Global South.While the debate around the future dynamics of raw materials in Europe – under the slogan “Europe means business; Europe is a powerhouse”– sought to foster investment opportunities between EU industry and countries of the Global South, the event fully ignored the realities of the territories in which these minerals are extracted. The effective participation of Latin American civil society has been practically non-existent, and the voices of local communities affected by the “critical minerals” projects promoted at the event have been excluded.“The EU's current raw materials and trade policy contradicts Europe's claim and rhetoric of upholding human rights and the highest environmental standards and supporting mineral-rich countries in creating added value and in their own energy transition.” said Teresa Hoffmann, EU raw materials policy expert and member of FARN. “Instead of making rapid progress in implementing human rights and environmental standards, there is a risk of even deregulating existing laws in the name of ‘competitiveness through simplification.’” The competitiveness paradigmThe event's agenda showcased the paradigm promoted by the European Commission in the framework of competitiveness vis-à-vis other countries such as China and the United States, which also seek to control the market of the so-called “clean technologies” and other industries, such as the military and aerospace. This approach is supported by the Draghi report, which stresses the importance of strengthening Europe's position in the global market.This narrative frames competitiveness in a very narrow perspective of perpetual growth, ignoring key elements such as environmental sustainability, social justice, and the need for real action in order for the EU to take steps to reduce its demand for minerals and its energy consumption.“The new paradigm of competitiveness does not take into account the limits of the planet, nor the climate, biodiversity and water crises, and risks deepening the asymmetry of power and inequality that exist between the countries of the Global South and the Global North, while promoting policies that impede a just global energy transition,” said Pía Marchegiani, deputy executive director and director of the Environmental Policy area of the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN). European Critical Raw Materials Regulation (CRMR)The Commission this week discussed the implementation of the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation (CRMR) through 'strategic projects' and 'strategic partnerships' in and with countries in the Global South.Critically, although the regulation will be widely implemented in Latin America—where many of these minerals are found in strategic ecosystems and indigenous territories—it does not include robust human rights and environmental due diligence mechanisms appropriate to the socio-cultural context of this region.On the contrary, the CRMR allows European companies to self-regulate their compliance with human rights and environmental standards through schemes that do not consider the complexity of the aggregate and synergistic impacts of extractive activities, which are expanding rapidly due to European and global demand.“Europe is seeking to secure access to minerals and energy through the modernization of free trade agreements, bilateral investment agreements and the CRMR itself. This new law promotes private mechanisms for multi-stakeholder participation and mining standards on environmental issues or transparency, which cannot be understood as a substitute for the procedures and regulations provided for in the laws of countries” said Ramón Balcázar, researcher and executive director of the Fundación Tantí. “Currently, we see them being used by the same companies and states that together systematically deny the right to free, prior and informed consultation to the peoples who are often affected simultaneously by mining and energy mega-projects”. Territorial realities not on the EU agendaIn Latin America, there is vast evidence that large-scale mineral extraction leads to socio-environmental degradation and conflict, and poses serious risks to local communities and environmental defenders.In the Salar de Atacama in Chile and the Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina, lithium extraction has generated environmental conflicts, weakened the social fabric, deepened state violence, and significantly affected these sensitive ecosystems.Despite this, government representatives from several Argentine provinces attending the event failed to refer to the lack of social license and the serious socio-environmental conflicts they face. On the contrary, they emphasized the investment opportunities in these mineral-rich provinces and promoted reforms that represent a serious setback for human and environmental rights, such as the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), denounced by the Argentinean organization FARN in a recent communication.“The European Union has regulations whose implementation processes do not respect the rights of access and international environmental law,” said Yeny Rodríguez, senior lawyer at the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA). “This is extremely worrying because we know that there are 49 strategic projects applications for the extraction of transitional minerals outside of the EU (out of a total of 170 proposals), but we have no information about which ones. They are likely in the Global South and, more worryingly, they may be planned on indigenous lands and in strategic ecosystems that should be recognized by the EU as no-go zones, or mining-free areas”.We call on the EU to rapidly adopt effective solutions to reduce the production and consumption of minerals and to deepen its circularity policy to address the social and environmental crises in an equitable and intergenerational way, without creating new inequalities or compromising human well-being in Latin America, as recently called for by the UN Economic Commission for Europe itself. Press contactsAnna Miller (USA), AIDA, [email protected], +17166029553Belén Felix (Argentina), FARN, [email protected], +5491134214728Felipe Fontecilla (Chile), Fundación Tantí, [email protected], +56954460903

November 27 2024 Climate Change, Human Rights, Indigenous Rights

The ABCs of transition minerals and their role in energy production

By Mayela Sánchez, David Cañas and Javier Oviedo* There is no doubt that we need to move away from fossil fuels to address the climate crisis. But what does it mean to switch to other energy sources?To make a battery or a solar panel, raw materials from nature are also used.Some of these raw materials are minerals which, due to their characteristics and in the context of the energy transition, have been descriptively named transition minerals.What are these minerals, where are they found, and how are they used?Below we answer the most important questions about these mineral resources, because it is crucial to know which natural resources will supply the new energy sources, and to ensure that their extraction respects human rights and planetary limits, so that the energy transition is just. What are transition minerals and why are they called that?They are a group of minerals with a high capacity to store and conduct energy. Because of these properties, they are used in the development of renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, batteries for electric mobility, or wind turbines.They are so called because they are considered essential for the technological development of renewable energy sources, such as those mentioned above. And in the context of the energy transition, energy sources that use these minerals are the most sought-after to replace fossil energy sources.Transition minerals are also often referred to as "critical" minerals because they are considered strategic to the energy transition. The term "critical" refers to elements that are vital to the economy and national security, but whose supply chain is vulnerable to disruption. This means that transition minerals may be strategic minerals, but not critical in terms of security and the economy.However, given the urgency of climate action, some states and international organizations have classified transition minerals as "critical" minerals in order to promote and facilitate access to these raw materials. What are the most important transition minerals?The most important transition minerals are cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth.But there are at least 19 minerals used in various renewable energy technologies: bauxite, cadmium, cobalt, copper, chromium, tin, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, silicon, tellurium, titanium, zinc, and the "rare" earth. What are "rare" earth elements and why are they so called?The "rare" earth elements are the 16 chemical elements of the lanthanoid or lanthanide group, plus Ithrium (Y), whose chemical behavior is virtually the same as that of the lanthanoids.They are Scandium, Ithrium, Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Tullium, Iterbium and Lutetium.They are so called because when they were discovered in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were less well known than other elements considered similar, such as calcium. But the name is now outdated.Nor does the term "rare" refer to their abundance, because although they are not usually concentrated in deposits that can be exploited (so their mines are few), even the less abundant elements in this group are much more common than gold. What are transition minerals used for? What technologies are based on transition minerals?The uses of transition minerals in the technological development of renewable energy sources are diverse:Solar technologies: bauxite, cadmium, tin, germanium, gallium, indium, selenium, silicon, tellurium, zinc.Electrical installations: copper.Wind energy: bauxite, copper, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, rare earths, zinc.Energy storage: bauxite, cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, rare earths, titanium.Batteries: cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, nickel, rare earths. In addition, they are used in a variety of modern technologies, for example in the manufacture of displays, cell phones, computer hard drives and LED lights, among others. Where are transition minerals found?The geography of transition minerals is broad, ranging from China to Canada, from the United States to Australia. But their extraction has been concentrated in countries of the global south.Several Latin American countries are among the top producers of various transition minerals. These materials are found in complex areas rich in biological and cultural diversity, such as the Amazon and the Andean wetlands.Argentina: lithiumBrazil: aluminum, bauxite, lithium, manganese, rare earths, titaniumBolivia: lithiumChile: copper, lithium, molybdenumColombia: nickelMexico: copper, tin, molybdenum, zincPeru: tin, molybdenum, zinc How do transition minerals support the energy transition and decarbonization?Transition minerals are seen as indispensable links in the energy transition to decarbonization, i.e. the shift away from fossil energy sources.But the global interest in these materials also raises questions about the benefits and challenges of mining transition minerals.The issue has become so relevant that last September, the United Nations Panel on Critical Minerals for Energy Transition issued a set of recommendations and principles to ensure equitable, fair and sustainable management of these minerals.In addition, as a result of the intensification and expansion of their extraction in countries of the region, the issue was brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the first time on November 15.In a public hearing, representatives of communities and organizations from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, as well as regional organizations, presented information and testimonies on the environmental and social impacts of transition mineral mining.Given the current energy transition process, it is necessary to know where the resources that will enable the technologies to achieve this transition will come from.The extraction and use of transition minerals must avoid imposing disproportionate environmental and social costs on local communities and ecosystems. *Mayela Sánchez is a digital community specialist at AIDA; David Cañas and Javier Oviedo are scientific advisors.Sources consulted:-Olivera, B., Tornel, C., Azamar, A., Minerales críticos para la transición energética. Conflictos y alternativas hacia una transformación socioecológica, Heinrich Böll Foundation Mexico City/Engenera/UAM-Unidad Xochimilco.-Science History Institute Museum & Library, “History and Future of Rare Earth Elements”.-FIMA NGO, Narratives on the extraction of critical minerals for the energy transition: Critiques from environmental and territorial justice.-Haxel, Hedrick & Orris, “Rare Earth-Elements. Critical Resources for High Technology,” 2005.-USGS 2014, “The Rare-Earth elements. Vital to modern technology and lifestyle”, 2014.-Final Report for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Thematic Hearing: Minerals for Energy Transition and its Impact on Human Rights in the Americas, 2024.

Cosecha de sal en el Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

November 13 2024 Climate Change, Human Rights, Freshwater Sources

Organizations and communities alert to human rights impacts of mineral extraction for the energy transition

A public hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights will focus on the impact of the expansion and intensification of extractive operations for transition minerals like lithium and copper on communities in Latin America. Washington DC. On November 15, at a public hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, representatives of national and regional organizations, as well as members of communities and indigenous peoples, will present updated information on how the exponential increase in the demand for and extraction of transition minerals has caused serious human rights violations as part of a transition process that is proposed only as a change in the energy matrix and is incapable of addressing inequalities in energy production and consumption, particularly in the Global South.Transition minerals like lithium, copper, cadmium, and cobalt—also called “critical” minerals—have been proposed in many global discussions as one of the main solutions to the climate crisis, as they are used in the development of technologies for the production of renewable energy, thus reducing or replacing the use of fossil fuels. A large part of these minerals are located in Latin America, in areas of great biocultural diversity.At the hearing, participants will present the main threats that mining for energy transition poses to the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, the right to a healthy environment, access to environmental information, citizen participation, and justice. In addition, concrete cases of human rights violations in the context of mining for energy transition will be presented through testimonies.These impacts are already occurring in countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, which concentrate about 53 percent of the world's known lithium deposits in their Andean wetlands, extremely fragile ecosystems confronting water scarcity; in Chile and Peru, where 40 percent of the world’s copper is mined; and in the Colombian Amazon, where concessions, mining claims and illegal extraction of transition minerals are violating the rights of indigenous peoples.Several international organizations have spoken out about human rights abuses related to climate crisis response, particularly energy transition processes. In September, the UN Panel on Critical Minerals for Energy Transition issued a set of recommendations and voluntary principles for governments, industry and other stakeholders to ensure equitable, fair and sustainable management of these minerals. These guidelines aim to ensure that the transition to renewable energy is based on fairness and equity, and that it promotes sustainable development, respect for people, and environmental protection in developing countries.The hearing will take place during the 191st period of sessions of the Inter-American Commission. It was requested by the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), the Gaia Amazonas Foundation and the organizations that are members of the the Alliance for Andean Wetlands (Alianza por los Humedales Andinos): the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), a regional organization; the Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) and the PUCARÁ Assembly, of Argentina; the Centro de Documentación e Información Bolivia (CEDIB) and the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Empodérate, of Bolivia; ONG FIMA, Defensa Ambiental and Fundación Tantí, of Chile.The hearing will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (Washington DC time) and will be broadcast via Zoom, which requires prior registration at the following link: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_dsEZdrDqSyOA8-i7ikveJQ#/registration. Quotes from representatives of organizations and communities Verónica Chávez, representative of the communities of Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc, Argentina:"All of us who are part of the Salinas Grande watershed are living a situation in which our rights are being affected. We hope that the IACHR can resolve this situation because it is very serious; they are damaging our territories, living beings, and nature itself." Liliana Ávila, director of the Human Rights and Environment Program at the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA):"The energy transition in our countries should be an opportunity to move towards more just and equitable energy production and distribution processes. The human rights framework and the role of the international protection system are fundamental in this regard. It is very important that the Inter-American Commission closely follows this process and promotes the protection of human rights." Verónica Gostissa, attorney with Asamblea Pucará of Catamarca, Argentina:"In our territory, the province of Catamarca, Argentina, we are living a serious violation of our rights, which is reflected first and foremost in the visible environmental impacts. Since 1997, lithium mining has caused significant environmental damage, including the drying up of a branch of the Trapiche River, a damage that persists to this day. Water continues to be taken from this damaged river, despite recognition of the damage by the company and government authorities. Access to public information, participation and consultation, and access to justice are also affected. For years, extractive projects have been approved without adequate procedures, and although a lawsuit filed by the Atacameños del Altiplano indigenous community resulted in a regulation, it does not meet the standards for effective indigenous consultation. In addition, more than 10 lithium projects are being developed in the same territory, the Salar del Hombre Muerto, without any cumulative and comprehensive impact assessment to date." Vivian Lagrava Flores, coordinator of the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Empodérate, Bolivia:"Indigenous communities reject mining projects, they can even issue their resolutions and say no in the mining consultation process, but their decisions are not binding for governments. International standards are not respected, and the subjugation of territories and the imposition of mining rights are legitimized with discourses of progress and development, but it is not development from the vision of the indigenous peoples, nor from ours." Lady Sandón, representative of the Environment Unit of the Consejo de Pueblos Atacameños, Chile:"There is a lot of ignorance of the law for the native/indigenous people, which favors the state, and that is why the inhabitants of the land, by not knowing, do not enforce their guarantees. The state institutions violate the social, environmental, and cultural aspects; sometimes they use the indigenous people themselves to create divisions and to have supporters or political and mining operators who promote the change of the thinking of the genetic memory that we have as native people. I hope that we can revisit the situation of ancestral indigenous justice as a mechanism that previously established corrections so that the values and principles of ‘Buen Vivir’ are respected." Daniel Cerqueira, program director of the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF):"This hearing is an opportunity for the Inter-American Commission to clarify the parameters of action for both States and companies in the management of transition minerals. It is imperative to have specific obligations in this area, as human rights violations resulting from the extraction of these minerals are a reality that tends to worsen in several countries in the region." Juan Sebastian Anaya, advocacy advisor at the Gaia Amazonas Foundation (Colombia):"The indigenous governments of the Amazon exercise their territorial and environmental authority in accordance with the Law of Origin, which guides their knowledge systems and principles of relationship with the elements of the territory, such as minerals. The decarbonization of the energy matrix to maintain consumption standards in the global north should not be done at the expense of indigenous territories and the communities that protect them, govern them and make them flourish with their daily practices."Press contactsVíctor Quintanilla (Mexico), AIDA, [email protected], +52 5570522107Rocío Wischñevsky (Argentina), FARN, [email protected], +54 91159518538 Karen Arita (Mexico), DPLF, [email protected], +52 442 471 9626

Declaración para la protección de los páramos y el bosque montano

October 30 2024 Climate Change, Indigenous Rights, Freshwater Sources

Declaration for the protection of the páramos and montane forests of the Tropical Andes

The undersigned civil society organizations, gathered in the framework of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia: 1.URGE States Parties to the CBD to adopt domestic regulations and make international commitments to:recognize the crucial role of the páramos and the montane forest that protects them in global water regulation, mitigation and adaptation to the climate crisis, as well as in the conservation of biocultural diversity;protect the human rights, traditional knowledge and sustainable practices of indigenous peoples and peasant and traditional communities that inhabit the páramos and montane forest; andprohibit large-scale mining or similar practices in paramos and montane forests in terms of their socio-environmental impacts, in accordance with the principles of precaution and prevention. 2. REQUEST the States to include in their national biodiversity strategies and action plans indicators and monitoring mechanisms before the CBD that allow them to adequately measure and report compliance with the commitments they assume to advance in the conservation of these ecosystems under the terms of this declaration, as well as to guarantee the rights of the peoples and communities that inhabit them. 3. REQUIRE States and multilateral financial institutions to mobilize sufficient resources and technical capacities to guarantee the conservation of these ecosystems, as well as the protection of the indigenous peoples and peasant and traditional communities that inhabit them. We submit these requests to the States Parties to the CBD: Taking into account that there is a scientific consensus on the water regulatory power of the páramo and montane forest ecosystems[1] because they not only host endemic flora that captures freshwater from rain and fog, supplying it to the Andean cities located downstream; but also soils, lake and peatland systems that have a high concentration of organic matter and an enormous capacity to retain the liquid. In addition, the páramos wetlands are high Andean wetlands[2] under the protection of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.Recognizing that páramos and their montane forests are fundamental in the carbon cycle; that due to low temperatures and the slow rate of decomposition of organic matter present in them, their soils, vegetation and wetlands capture and retain carbon dioxide (CO2)[3], contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and reducing the impact of meteorological events; and that these ecosystems are carbon sinks under the terms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).Reminding that, due to their biological and climatic characteristics, these ecosystems provide essential services for the population and contain biodiversity that is subject to special protection[4] and are home to endemic and native species of flora and fauna such as frailejones, pajonales, epiphytes, the chivito hummingbird, the Andean condor and the Andean bear, among others.Considering that the indigenous peoples and peasant and traditional communities of the region manage and protect the páramos and montane forests, ensure the preservation of common goods in their territories and are guardians of ancestral knowledge that is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity; that the integrity of the páramos is fundamental for the conservation of these ancestral practicess[5]; and that the páramos and montane forests are reserves of biocultural diversity within the framework of the CBD.Reiterating that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)[6] warned of the impact of the climate crisis on páramos; and that they face other anthropogenic pressures such as fires, monocultures, livestock and invasive species[7].Warning that despite being strategic and sensitive ecosystems, deserving of the greatest protection, some of them are currently under strong pressure to develop large-scale mining projects, while others are at risk of being subject to mining concessions due to non-compliance with regulations and public policies that protect them or the lack of them.Bearing in mind that indigenous peoples and peasant and traditional communities have rejected these mining projects in their territories, even winning by majority vote "popular consultations" with which they have succeeded in defending the use of the land for traditional activities in their territories.Insisting that the removal of vegetation cover and the fragmentation of ecosystems generated by large-scale mining can affect the ecological balance, biocultural diversity and the provision of ecosystem services essential for life; acidify and reduce the amount of freshwater available for life systems; and break ecological and spiritual interconnectivity with other biomes and ecosystems, ending their capacity to capture carbon[8] and causing impacts in perpetuity.Following the warnings made by several UN rapporteurs and working groups on the negative impacts of mining on the environment and on human rights[9].Warning about certain dynamics recently employed by some mining companies in the countries of the region, particularly multinationals -such as the splitting of large mining titles, the change of exploitation method from surface to underground mining, as well as the formalization of small-scale miners in the area to outsource their activities by requesting multiple smaller areas-, which threaten to disguise large-scale mining processes with cumulative and synergistic environmental impacts on páramo ecosystems and montane forests that can be equal or more serious than those of a large-scale mining concession.Recalling that under the CBD States are required to: (i) monitor activities that have or are likely to have significant adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity[10], such as mining; (ii) establish protected areas for biodiversity conservation[11] based on the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and peasant and traditional communities[12]; and (iii) adopt emergency measures when there are serious and imminent risks to biological diversity from natural or other events[13], such as risk from extractive activities. Signed byCentro Sociojurídico para la Defensa Territorial Siembra (Colombia)Colectivo Socio-Ambiental Juvenil de Cajamarca COSAJUCA (Colombia)Comité para la Defensa del Agua y el Páramo de Santurbán (Colombia)Consejo Territorial de Cabildos de la Sierra Nevada de Gonawindua CTC (Colombia)Corporación Ecológica y Cultural Penca de Sábila (Colombia)Movimiento Socioambiental Kumanday (Colombia)Natural Seeds Alliance (Colombia)Proyecto Dulcepamba (Ecuador)⁠Acción Ecológica (Ecuador)Latinoamérica Sustentable (Ecuador)Unión de Defensores del Agua - UNAGUA (Ecuador)Federación de Organizaciones Indígenas y Campesinas del Azuay - FOA (Ecuador)Alianza de Organizaciones por los Derechos Humanos del Ecuador (Ecuador)Legal Defense Institute - IDL (Peru)Red Muqui (Perú)Red Internacional de Forestería Análoga - RIFA (Costa Rica)Mining Watch Canadá (Canada)Both ENDS (Netherlands)Redes del Agua Latinoamérica (Regional)Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense - AIDA (Regional)[1]Buytaert W. et al. Hidrología del páramo andino: propiedades, importancia y vulnerabilidad. Lovaina, U. de Lovaina, s.f.,, p. 10, 11, 23.[2] COP del Convenio de Ramsar, Resolución VIII.39. Los humedales altoandinos como sistemas estratégicos. Valencia, 2002.[3] Robert Hofstede et al. “Los páramos del Ecuador: Pasado, presente y futuro”, capítulo 12, págs 328 – 330, 2023[4] Robert Hofstede et al. págs 158 – 163, 2023.[5] IPBES (2018). The IPBES Regional Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Americas. Recuperado de: https://www.ipbes.net/assessment-reports/americas[6] IPCC (2013). Panel Intergubernamental de Cambio Climático, Quinto Informe de Evaluación, Recuperado de: http://www.ipcc.ch/home_languages_main_spanish.shtml[7] Ochoa-Tocachi et al., 2016, Tomado de IPBES (2018).[8] Madriñán, S., Cortés, A. J., & Richardson, J. E. (2013). Páramo is the world's fastest evolving and coolest biodiversity hotspot. Frontiers in genetics, 192.[9] Asamble General de la ONU, (i) Relatoría Especial sobre derechos humanos y sustancias y desechos peligrosos. Asamblea General de la ONU. A/HRC/51/35, 8 de julio de 2022, (ii) Relatoría Especial sobre el derecho humano a un medio ambiente limpio, saludable y sostenible. A/79/270, 2 de agosto de 2024, (iii) Grupo de Trabajo sobre la cuestión de los derechos humanos y las empresas transnacionales. Asamblea General de la ONU. A/78/155, 11 de julio de 2023.[10] Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica, Art. 7.C.[11] Ibid. Art. 8.C. CDB.[12] Ibid. Art. 8.J CDB.[13] Ibid. Art. 14.E. CDB.

October 16 2024 Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, Freshwater Sources

COP16: To conserve biodiversity, governments must respect indigenous and local knowledge

At the UN Conference on Biodiversity, countries must also make progress in ensuring the participation of indigenous and local communities in decision-making on biodiversity. The energy transition model of the global north implies irreversible impacts for the Andean wetlands and the communities that inhabit them, whose territories overlap with lithium reserves. Ahead of the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which will take place from October 21 to November 1 in Cali, Colombia, the Alliance for Andean Wetlands (Alianza por los Humedales Andinos) calls on member countries to respect, preserve and maintain the knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Doing so implies honoring the obligations acquired with the signing of the treaty.In addition, the signatory countries of the convention must make progress, through the presentation of concrete action plans at the national level, in ensuring the participation of communities in decision-making on biodiversity issues, one of the 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022.One of the goals of COP16 is to review compliance with these targets, aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.According to the Living Planet Report, Latin America is the region with the greatest loss of biodiversity, as populations of all species show an average decline of 94% and 83% in the case of freshwater species.The Alliance warns of the irreversible impacts that the energy transition model promoted from the global north implies for the Andean wetlands, where some of the most sought-after transition minerals, such as lithium and copper, are found.These ecosystems harbor more than that: they are home to an enormous and unique biodiversity, as well as to local communities that depend on them and that for thousands of years have protected and preserved them, maintaining the ecological balance. Quotes from members of the Alliance for Andean WetlandsLaura Castillo, Coordinator of the High Andean Program at Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), Argentina:"To address the biodiversity crisis, it is crucial to transcend the current paradigm of production and consumption, which promotes excessive use of environmental goods and exacerbates the ecological crisis. To this end, it is imperative to promote the reduction of high levels of consumption of natural goods, especially from the global north. Solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises -which are closely related- will inevitably require countries to define their own socio-ecological transitions towards models of life that respect human rights and planetary limits." Vivian Lagrava Flores, Coordinator of Empodérate and the Wetlands, Biodiversity and Water Protection project, Bolivia:"Biodiversity and water should not be assumed as an 'exploitable resource' by the States. As long as this mercantilist view persists, we will have more people affected by mining and sacrificed and, therefore, more biodiversity exposed and at risk of extinction." Verónica Gostissa, attorney and coordinator of the Alianza por los Humedales Andinos project at Asamblea Pucará, Catamarca, Argentina:"It is urgent to address the problem of lithium exploitation in the Puna. It is advertised as 'clean energy', but it is devastating our ecosystems. In Argentina, they intend to turn the Salar del Hombre Muerto into an industrial park, installing more than eight projects in the same territory. In this COP, it is crucial to recognize the irreversible impact generated by extractivism and, from there, to deploy ecosystemic links based on the care of all that is vital." Cynthia Escares, biologist and director of the NGO Defensa Ambiental, Chile:"The climate crisis is an undeniable reality. However, in its name, forms of extractivism disguised as clean energy and equity are being promoted, without recognizing the profound implications of these processes. Projects such as lithium and rare earth mining, essential for batteries and green technologies, are presented as solutions to climate change, but they replicate the same logics of exploitation that have historically devastated territories and communities. This time, not only will we lose the inhabitants of these vulnerable regions, but we are leading the planet and all its biodiversity towards an irreversible collapse." Yeny Rodríguez, senior attorney with the Ecosystems Program at the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA):"The biological and cultural diversity of our region is at risk. After COP16, it should be understood that we can no longer talk about defossilization as the panacea that will save us from the climate crisis. The energy transition towards 'clean energy' also requires the extraction of minerals such as lithium, an industry that in Latin America is already causing the destruction of Andean wetlands and the disappearance of rivers. We are facing an opportunity to move towards the protection of biodiversity and the human rights of the native communities that have cared for the territories since before the existence of our States." Ramón Balcázar Morales, executive director and researcher of Fundación Tantí, Chile:"The salt flats from which South American lithium is obtained are wetlands, territories inhabited by indigenous peoples and communities whose ways of life are key to the conservation of ecosystems that sustain a threatened biodiversity. Faced with the deepening of the polycrisis, we must promote democratic processes that allow us, as a society, to overcome the profound contradiction between the climate agenda based on green growth and the biodiversity conservation agenda. This requires governmental and institutional efforts and will to strengthen and dialogue with communities and social actors in the territories affected by mining and energy megaprojects associated with the energy transition."