There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: – everything from AI to wind turbines, as well as cellphones, electric vehicles and defense systems – depend on . But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with and because of the mining.
Lithium powers batteries. Cobalt stabilizes them. Copper carries electricity. Rare earth elements make wind turbines and digital devices efficient and durable. Each of these are essential to the technologies of the , but they are also toxic and require enormous amounts of water to extract.
As researchers at the 海角社区 Institute for Water, Environment and Health, we have been studying the impacts of critical mineral mining on communities around the world. Our new report shows why mining will end up worsening the lives of some of the world’s poorest people if critical mineral supply chains are not monitored and regulated.
One of us is , a region still suffering from the long-term consequences of supplying the fuel consumed for the remarkable economic developments of the 20th century. And one of us , the continent that is now serving as a major supplier of the critical minerals that fuel technological advancements in the 21st century.
Based on our experiences and our research, we believe that if there aren’t major changes in how countries, corporations and communities manage critical minerals, humanity risks reproducing the , this time with the technological advancements meant to address the problems fossil fuels created.
Suggested citation: Nunbogu, A., Farsi, A., Matin, M., Madani, K. "Critical Minerals, Water Insecurity and Injustice," 海角社区, 海角社区-INWEH, 2026, doi: 10.53328/INR25ABN002.
