Global demand for lithium and copper is rising, fueled by the renewable energy transition. Chile is the top producer of copper and the second-largest producer of lithium in the world. It is also recognized as the most water-stressed country in the Americas. Socio-environmental conflicts around water, more visible over the past several decades, are intensifying. While some view water primarily as a productive resource that will enable Chile to keep growing its economy, civil society groups are calling for environmental justice and arguing that local communities also deserve to benefit from the renewable energy transition rather than becoming green sacrifice zones.
© 2025 by The Regents of the University of California
2025
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