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Lithium mining, water resources, and socio-economic issues in northern Argentina: We are not all in the same boat

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  • Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando
  • Escosteguy, Melisa
  • Seghezzo, Lucas
  • Hufty, Marc
  • Kruse, Eduardo
  • Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro

Abstract

Lithium mining in Argentina is often associated to social injustices, unequal access to information, and conflicts around issues such as water consumption. Different stakeholders hold different perceptions around the pros and cons of lithium mining. We identify here concerns regarding water resources, technical aspects of lithium mining, and social and economic aspects in four different sources of information: (1) Scientific articles; (2) Government reports; (3) Corporate reports; and (4) Newspaper articles. We found differences between the groups of documents analyzed. Scientific and newspaper articles share a wide spectrum of issues. Corporate and government reports are more focused and relate more heavily to social and economic aspects. Socio-technical issues, frequent in government reports and the media, do not seem relevant in corporate reports. Concerns about water resources and lithium mining are most prominent in scientific and newspaper articles. Government reports were the least concerned about water and the socio-environmental impacts of lithium mining, but focused on global markets, employment and technical development. Analyzing stakeholders’ concerns in the Argentine Puna region can help reveal power structures, connections, and discourses across different sectors and scales.

Suggested Citation

  • Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando & Escosteguy, Melisa & Seghezzo, Lucas & Hufty, Marc & Kruse, Eduardo & Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro, 2023. "Lithium mining, water resources, and socio-economic issues in northern Argentina: We are not all in the same boat," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:81:y:2023:i:c:s0301420722007310
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.103288
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jorratt, Michel, 2022. "Renta económica, régimen tributario y transparencia fiscal de la minería del litio en la Argentina, Bolivia (Estado Plurinacional de) y Chile," Documentos de Proyectos 47807, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    2. López Steinmetz, Romina Lucrecia & Fong, Shao Bing, 2019. "Water legislation in the context of lithium mining in Argentina," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    3. Obaya, Martín & López, Andrés & Pascuini, Paulo, 2021. "Curb your enthusiasm. Challenges to the development of lithium-based linkages in Argentina," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    4. QUIJANO, Gabriela, 2020. "Lithium Might Hold the Key to our Clean Energy Future, but Will this Star Metal Fully Deliver on its Green Potential?," Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 276-281, July.
    5. John D. Graham & John A. Rupp & Eva Brungard, 2021. "Lithium in the Green Energy Transition: The Quest for Both Sustainability and Security," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-23, October.
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    1. Fuentealba, Diego & Flores-Fernández, Cherie & Troncoso, Elizabeth & Estay, Humberto, 2023. "Technological tendencies for lithium production from salt lake brines: Progress and research gaps to move towards more sustainable processes," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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