There’s a troubling contradiction on the coronary heart of the worldwide transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies—everything from AI to wind generators, in addition to cellphones, electric vehicles and protection techniques—rely upon critical minerals. However most of the communities the place these minerals are mined find yourself with polluted water and poorer health due to the mining.
Lithium powers batteries. Cobalt stabilizes them. Copper carries electrical energy. Uncommon earth components make wind generators and digital units environment friendly and sturdy. Every of those are important to the applied sciences of the fourth industrial revolution, however they’re additionally poisonous and require enormous amounts of water to extract.
As researchers on the United Nations College Institute for Water, Atmosphere and Well being, now we have been learning the impacts of crucial mineral mining on communities world wide. Our new report exhibits why mining will find yourself worsening the lives of a number of the world’s poorest folks if crucial mineral provide chains will not be monitored and controlled.
One in every of us is from the Middle East, a area nonetheless affected by the long-term penalties of supplying the gasoline consumed for the exceptional financial developments of the twentieth century. And one in every of us comes from Africa, the continent that’s now serving as a significant provider of the crucial minerals that gasoline technological developments within the twenty first century.
Based mostly on our experiences and our analysis, we imagine that if there aren’t main modifications in how international locations, companies and communities handle crucial minerals, humanity dangers reproducing the injustices of the oil extraction era, this time with the technological developments meant to handle the issues fossil fuels created.
Mining contributes to rising water chapter
One of the important impacts of crucial minerals extraction is its impact on water.
In 2024 alone, global lithium production required an estimated 456 billion liters of water. That’s equal to the annual home water wants of roughly 62 million folks in sub‑Saharan Africa. On the similar time, a lot of the world is dealing with water bankruptcy, that means folks and industries are utilizing extra contemporary water than nature can replenish, resulting in irrecoverable ecosystem damages.
In arid areas reminiscent of Chile’s Salar de Atacama, mining actions account for up to 65% of complete regional water use, competing with agriculture and ecosystems. Groundwater levels have dropped, salt lagoons have shrunk, and freshwater aquifers are more and more vulnerable to being depleted and contaminated.
Water air pollution compounds problems like this. Mining generates massive portions of poisonous waste and wastewater containing heavy metals, acids and radioactive residues.
Rare earth mineral production, for instance, generates as much as 2,000 metric tons of waste for each metric ton of usable materials. Uncommon earth minerals are sometimes extracted by creating leaching ponds and adding chemicals to separate the metals. When the effluent isn’t handled or is wrongly saved, the chemical compounds can seep into groundwater and waterways, contaminating aquifers and rivers.
In some parts of the world, rivers close to cobalt and copper mines have develop into so acidic that communities can not drink water from them. Fish shares have collapsed, and farmlands have been poisoned. Water insecurity is not a aspect impact of mining; it’s a systemic value.
Well being crises hidden in provide chains
Communities dwelling close to these extraction websites report folks affected by pores and skin ailments, gastrointestinal illnesses, reproductive health problems and persistent well being situations related to lengthy‑time period publicity to heavy metals in polluted water and soil.
Proof from mining regions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is especially stark.
Studies document excessive charges of miscarriages, congenital malformations and toddler mortality amongst populations uncovered to environments contaminated with cobalt and different metals. Maternity wards in southern Democratic Republic of the Congo which are near mining operations report considerably extra beginning defects than these farther away.
In communities close to mining operations, residents talk about how women and girls dwelling close to cobalt and copper mining websites have been experiencing gynecological well being issues, together with infections, menstrual irregularities, miscarriages and infertility. These dangers are linked to extended contact with contaminated water, compounded by restricted entry to sanitation and healthcare.
In Chile’s Antofagasta region, most cancers mortality is the best within the nation. Lung most cancers charges there are almost thrice the nationwide common. Physicians within the area additionally report rising instances of neurological and developmental disorders, which they hyperlink to early exposure to contaminated water and air.
Thousands of children are estimated to be employed in artisanal cobalt mines within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Within the casual mines, they might be uncovered to cobalt dust and other hazardous materials with out protecting gear.
These well being dangers are heightened by weak techniques for water, sanitation and healthcare. As of 2024, solely about one-third of people within the Democratic Republic of the Congo had no less than primary consuming water providers.
Meals prices of the power transition
The water issues attributable to crucial minerals extraction additionally pose a major threat to local food systems. In Peru, zinc mining has contaminated the Cunas watershed. Runoff pollutes water used to irrigate crops and provide water for livestock.
In Bolivia’s Uyuni area, lithium mining has led to persistent water shortages which are making it more and more troublesome to grow quinoa, a staple crop central to native diets and economies. Throughout the broader “lithium triangle” of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, mining has reduced water availability for crops and farm animals.
Comparable patterns are evident in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. In each international locations, polluted rivers have contributed to declining fish shares and livestock diseases, harming households which are already struggling to feed themselves.
Methods to guard mining communities
Innovation and technological advances have the potential to do good. However we imagine a good and sustainable power and digital transition requires deliberate actions to keep away from creating “sacrifice zones,” locations the place human and ecological well-being are traded away for technological breakthroughs.
One choice is to create stronger worldwide governance. Transferring past voluntary tips towards binding worldwide guidelines, reminiscent of treaties, enforceable provide chain due-diligence legal guidelines, necessary environmental and human rights requirements for mining operations, and doubtlessly establishing a global mineral trust that may handle crucial minerals as shared planetary property, may enhance water safety, air pollution management and human rights throughout mineral provide chains.
Firms also can put money into less water-intensive mining applied sciences. Nations can tighten their wastewater controls and develop unbiased environmental monitoring and reporting.
Governance preparations that give native and Indigenous communities a stronger voice, a justifiable share in the advantages and real co-governance of sources may additional rebalance who has energy and who bears danger.
On the consumption side, extending product lifespans, increasing recycling and inspiring much less reliance on newly mined minerals would ease stress on water‑confused areas.
For the individuals who use these applied sciences, the social and environmental prices embedded in crucial minerals provide chains are sometimes out of sight and out of thoughts. Making these impacts seen can allow customers to make knowledgeable decisions and have interaction in larger scrutiny of company practices.
Crucial minerals are important to advancing sustainability. But when cleaner applied sciences are in-built ways in which end in polluted rivers, sick kids and dispossessed communities, the transition will fall in need of its promise.
Abraham Nunbogu is a researcher on the Institute for Water, Atmosphere and Well being (UNU-INWa on the United Nations University and Kaveh Madani is director of the Institute for Water, Atmosphere and Well being (UNU-INWEH) on the United Nations University.
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