Resource Governance Strategies in the Lithium Triangle. A Comparison between Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile

What can lithium governance strategies developed by Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile tell about resource management and its impact on development, the environment, and democracy? Lithium is being promoted as both a climate change solution and an economic asset. Fifteen years from now, one third of passenger vehicles are expected to be electric. Lithium, a lightweight mineral, is ideal for energy storage systems, smartphones, and car and home batteries. New technologies drive demand for clean energy, which requires lithium extraction. Some call this transition the "4th Industrial Revolution," attracting investors eager for an electric boom. Accordingly, demand for lithium has tripled since 2017 and could expand tenfold by the 2050s. Still, while lithium reduces carbon emissions and is less environmentally harming, lithium is a non-renewable resource that needs to be extracted, involving significant water depletion, with 500,000 gallons of water per ton of lithium. How are countries in the Lithim Triangle, with some of the highest world reserves, approaching these possibilities and challenges? My presentation compares the resource governance strategies of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile on lithium. Whereas Bolivia was the first country to nationalize lithium under Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos in 2007, Argentina has intensified cooperation with private companies. On its part, Chile, is in between the two, combining an announced nationalization of lithium with market strategies.