Ecological transition and extractivism of lithium in Chile

Water governance and environmental degradation in the indigenous lickanantay’s territory

Abstract

This paper analyzes the global ecological transition and its regional implications in the case of Atacama’s salt deposit basin in Chile. As a starting point, we reflect on the transition to electric mobility that gives rise to a process of lithium extraction which generates environmental degradation undermining water availability as well as the ways of relating to the nature of the indigenous lickanantay people. The article is divided into four parts: in the first part –which is mainly a documentary review of the new model of sustainable development- we analyze how this model articulates an extractive process in countries within the periphery of development. In the second one, we examine statistical data in order to understand the importance of South America as a source of lithium in global economic flows. In the third part, we delve into the field work in terms of a discourse analysis dealing with the introduction of new actors and their confrontation with lickanantay people’s perspective. Finally, we propose an analysis grounded on the theoretical matrix of political ecology so as to address water governance and identify the implications of the process of environmental degradation which are embodied in indigenous actors’ stories about the transformation process.