– El avance de la minería de litio amenaza al flamenco andino en Argentina | América Futura
– El avance de la minería de litio pone en peligro al flamenco andino en Argentina | América Futura.
Flamingos in Danger: The Impacts of Lithium Mining on Andean Flamingos in Argentina
Andean flamingos, with their elegant stride and impressive plumage, are a captivating sight. These birds, scientifically known as phoenicoparrus andinus, nest in colonies during the summer in the shallow wetlands of the Puna and the High Andes of Chile, Bolivia, and Argentina. In Argentina, the most rare of all flamingo species is mainly found in the northern provinces during the warmer months and also in the low-lying areas of the central part of the country, particularly in Cordoba and Santa Fe.
For years, biologists and conservation specialists have been warning about the negative impacts of lithium brine extraction on the habitats where these animals reproduce and feed. The Andean flamingo, along with other flamingo species found in Argentina, has been classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Enrique Derlindati, a doctor in Biological Sciences and researcher at the National University of Salta, has been studying these birds, their population trends, and the threats they face in their environment. He emphasizes the need to take measures to conserve their survival and reproductive capacity.
“During the summer, these species move to the mountains—especially wetlands and salt flats—above 4,000 meters in altitude. They establish their nesting colonies, which are becoming increasingly difficult to find and coincide with the so-called lithium triangle. The Andean flamingo is a species restricted to the Andes and has the smallest population size. Census data estimates that there are around 80,000 individuals throughout South America. They are abandoning their historical nesting sites due to the presence of lithium exploration and extraction fields,” says Derlindati, who has been studying flamingos since the 1990s.
These numbers come from the Sixth Simultaneous International Census of Three Flamingo Species in the Southern Cone, conducted by the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), along with other research and socio-environmental conservation institutions. “It is a monitoring and follow-up carried out every five years. In the last 15 years, we have observed fewer juveniles in natural environments, which is a big alarm. Mining companies are setting up operations in all the salt flats of the Puna region, leaving no area untouched. This restricts nesting possibilities because Andean flamingos seek isolated sites,” adds the specialist.
Derlindati believes that mining activities could be carried out with less environmental impact in Argentina, taking into account the local fauna. “I had the opportunity to be in Chile, where mining companies, for example, do not operate during the nesting periods of these species, between November and February. However, if the mining companies and governments do not want to stop, it becomes difficult to enforce. There are also other ways to extract lithium. Here, it is done using drying ponds because it is the most economical method, but it requires transforming the salt flats. The direct impact of the activity is significant,” he asserts.
Matías Michelutti, a tour guide in the Ansenuza National Park in Cordoba, which houses the largest salt lake in South America and is home to 66% of all registered migratory and shorebird species in Argentina, including Andean flamingos in winter, also highlights the water issue. “The conservation of the sites and the availability of food depend on environmental conditions and water levels in the lakes. In recent years of drought—from 2019 to December of last year—the lagoon has receded to historic levels only seen in the 1970s. The number of individuals of the Chilean flamingo is stable and not at risk. However, the Andean flamingo uses the same areas for nesting and feeding that are currently being used for lithium extraction or are favorable for such activities. The problem is significant; it is not the extraction of lithium per se, but the use of water for the process,” says Michelutti, who, like Derlindati, is part of the High Andean Flamingos Conservation Group (GCFA), which comprises scientists and specialists in conservation and protected areas from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.
The Ansenuza National Park was designated as a protected area in 2022. Michelutti highlights this legal framework for conservation after years of research and dissemination work to raise awareness about the enormous wetland covering about 8,000 square kilometers located in the central-northern part of Argentina. “It was a long journey and a milestone to become a national park. Worldwide, the trend is for these environments to dry up. With tourism, we aim to educate the general public about the importance of these wetlands,” he points out.
The conversation naturally turns to protective measures and stricter regulations to curb environmentally harmful activities. In Argentina, there is the Environmental Protection Law for Mining Activities (Law 24,585), which provides a “regulatory framework for protection.” However, the approval or denial of permits for mining projects depends on each province, which has jurisdiction over its resources, as indicated in Article 124 of the National Constitution. “The original ownership of the natural resources existing in their territory belongs to the provinces,” the text states.
Derlindati warns that, in addition to environmental impacts, there is a lack of data from mining companies and lax or insufficient controls by provincial governments. “In many cases, mining companies do not provide data because the government does not require it. The economic situation leads to the liquidation of natural resources, driven by a false panacea of the lithium boom. For example, in Salta, the provincial legislature seeks to reduce bureaucracy to facilitate mining exploitation. This leads to leniency with permits and restrictions. The cost always ends up being environmental and affecting people’s health,” he analyzes.
Simon Perez Alsina, president of the Salta Mining Chamber, the province with the most lithium projects in the country, responds, “The Argentine Puna is a territory that has millions of hectares, with large areas for productive ventures and the conservation of flora and fauna. Any human activity has an impact. It’s a rule known by anyone who, for example, has built a house. Technically, no negative impact of any lithium project has been proven—neither pollution, water shortage, nor a decrease in species. Lithium is the mineral of the energy transition. Without lithium, we cannot decarbonize the world.”
The Technical Evidence of the Negative Impact of Lithium Exploitation on Wetlands and Water Resources in the High Andean Salars, a study published by the Wetlands Foundation with the support of the NGO Wetlands International in 2021, warns of documented and identified impacts, such as soil and wetland salinization, soil contamination with hazardous waste, alteration of natural surface water flow, modification of the water balance, and affecting native flora and fauna.
The immense salt flats in northern Argentina are not only the “white gold” of lithium; they exist in a fragile environment that, according to the mentioned study and the voices of conservationists, requires careful consideration and protection..
– El avance de la minería de litio amenaza al flamenco andino en Argentina
– El litio pone en peligro al flamenco andino en Argentina.
