Communities in different parts of the world are facing interest in their land from companies who want to mine lithium, and governments who want access to the revenues from that mining.
One of these communities is a village called Covas do Barroso in Portugal. It’s in a region that’s famous for traditional ways of life and sustainable agriculture. It’s also right next to a site that’s targeted for Europe’s largest open-cast lithium mine. Local people have been campaigning against the mine now for several years, through a series of consulations, challenges and assessments.
In this episode of the Future Natures podcast, Anoushka and Nathan talk to Carla Gomes, who is from the village and has been involved in the resistance to the mine, and Francisco Venes, a researcher at the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, who has studied resistance to mining in Portugal and Ecuador and been involved in the campaign.
Listen
You can listen to a stream of the interview on Apple Podcasts or YouTube below.
For more information about the resistance campaign, see the movement’s Facebook page.
There is also an annual camp held for supporters of the Covas do Barroso community. Find out more on the camp’s dedicated website.
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