Critical mineral mining for clean energy and AI is straining water resources and harming vulnerable communities

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:43:00 +0200

The global push toward clean energy, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence relies heavily on critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. While these materials are essential for batteries, electronics, and renewable infrastructure, their extraction is creating serious environmental and health consequences for communities in mining regions, particularly in poorer parts of the world.

Research from the United Nations University highlights how mining operations consume vast amounts of water and generate toxic waste. For example, lithium production alone required an estimated 456 billion liters of water in 2024, intensifying water scarcity in already arid regions like Chile’s Salar de Atacama. Mining activities can account for a majority of local water use, lowering groundwater levels and contaminating freshwater supplies with hazardous substances such as heavy metals and acids.

These environmental impacts translate directly into public health cr