The Jequitinhonha River Valley in Brazil, once infamous for poverty, is now a hotspot for lithium mining, dubbed “white oil.” This shift has brought hope and excitement to the region, but also raised concerns about environmental impact.
![Lithium boom and bust in Brazil's poorest region | Global 3 Large piles of waste from Sigma Lithium's lithium extraction have become part of the landscape in the Poço Dantas community near the city of Araçuaí, in Brazil.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/5PTEMHNAYBHK3LG72AYKF37C2I.jpg?auth=a6671415e676c53e979dff5fdde20c83de4a111118dbc18177b70328eb5353ab&width=414)
Leonardo Carrato
The region’s economic boom due to lithium has led to a surge in jobs and economic growth, but it has also impacted the environment and local communities negatively.
While the promise of economic development is enticing, concerns about long-term sustainability and environmental damage loom large in this story of transformation in the Jequitinhonha Valley.
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