Parts of Chile are facing a growing water crisis. The Reuters news agency reports the government is taking steps to protect the country’s water supplies from mining operations. But for many years, the Chilean government approved water extraction rights with little consideration for their effect on the environment. Mining companies were quick to claim the water available in the salt flats of the Salar de Atacama. The Salar sits in the world’s driest desert. The water trapped below feeds the biggest copper mine in the world. The mine holds more than one-third of the world’s known supply of lithium, a very light metal. Lithium is used to power batteries in electric vehicles. It also is used in mobile phones and laptop computers. Lithium can be extracted from water found in mines. However, demand for water has grown so much that the Chilean government is trying to limit its usage. No one really knows how much water there is in the Salar de Atcama area. Oscar Cristi was recently appointed head of Chile’s water authority. He says the development agency Corfo hopes to provide more information after it releases a study in December.
