Kangsu Kong

The purpose of the case study is to assess the environmental impacts, especially on water and its possible correlation with lithium mining expansions from a global perspective with the analysis of three representative cases: Salar de Atacama of Chile, Salar de Olaroz of Argentina and Qaidam plateau of China, three of the world’s largest and famous lithium brine extraction sites. Using Landsat data and calculated images in Qgis, I investigate and study areas that are close to the lithium extraction areas such as lagoons, alluvial fan and villages to have the horizontal analysis in each country itself (1) use environmental parameters-NDWI (Normalized Differenced Water Index) to determine water areas and its pixel-based time-series trend over time; (2) use environmental parameters-NDVI (Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index) to determine vegetation areas and its pixel-based time-series trend over time; (3) perform regression analysis between lithium mining activities and water and vegetation content changes in the period of lithium brine extraction; and (4) use NDWI changes of study areas in Chile and China to do regression-model analysis with the variable-mining areas change. Then, this study has the vertical comparison that means comparisons between different countries to see the NDWI and NDVI changes to find the similar laws. The horizontal comparison shows the significant NDWI degradation over the lithium extraction period in each country (1) decreasing trend of NDWI at most of time; (2) NDVI changes irregularly, sometimes abnormal increased and sometimes decreased; (3) the continuous expansion of lithium mining areas has strong negative correlations with NDWI in each country, and the closer study area is more affected by the mining activities. The vertical comparison shows that (1) all countries show the decrease trend of NDWI at different extent; (2) NDVI changed irregularly but all countries show an increasing trend in recent years, which may be the reason that the amount of some kinds of the vegetations can increase due to the water decreases; (3) NDWI regression models of lagoons in China show a stronger regressive relationship than in Atacama salt flats of Chile.

This lithium map is an interactive map for the users, which can be accessed to the basic information of lithium from different layers (when you click on the icons on each layer, you can see the information details):

1. Global critical mining deposit locations and names
2. Global lithium distribution
· Main countries and amount of reserves of each country
· Locations, names, photos of each lithium location
· Distribution of main different types of lithium (lithium brines, pegmatite lithium, clay lithium)
3. Global conflicts over lithium extractions
4. The website main study regions and areas, when you click on the icons, you can see the environmental changes of NDWI and NDVI of that area.

Particle simulations of the lithium-brine extraction is a good way to show the composition, feature of lithium brines such as the concentration, density, porosity, etc, and what happens when the extraction begins. For example, it helps to see the water evaporation, the water extraction in pipelines from underground of the lithium extractions and water evaporation. Such a particle simulation can give website users an intuitive feeling, strong visual impacts of water waste and shift people’s normal view to lithium.

According to the research, water issues brought by lithium-brine extraction are happening globally. Therefore, I propose to develop a Lithium digital platform which is shown as a website. Such platform could collaborate on awareness, networking, research, lobbying and/or exchange. In this way, it can play a pioneering role in raising awareness of the water impacts caused by lithium extraction and facilitate a global space that focus on water issues related to lithium mining and help protect local water rights. It accelerates thinking about the lithium mining extraction growing problem and promotes the consideration of degrowth.
Its missions and how to achieve:
1. Build awareness and understanding the lithium which is called “clean energy metal’ [Provide and gather information on lithium, particle simulation of extraction process];
2. Provide scientific support to local communities, that are threatened by mining activities; [Our case studies and researches uploaded by our partners];
3. Networking between communities, researchers, and advocacy teams [by gathering reports and uploading to interactive map, providing forum, studies and researches from partners];
4. Archive of research on the environmental impacts of lithium extraction to provide scientific support to local communities [they can access a library of stuff];
5. Events being organized [activist and academic]
6. A space for the discussion of technologies for more sustainable extraction, production and consumption of minerals and metals [recycling, water-less extraction, etc].