This publication is a collaborative effort by Friends of the Earth Europe, EEB, and Generation Climate Europe.

This factsheet is part of a series of case studies on contested mining projects, developed by civil society organisations. The factsheets illustrate the structural problems associated with mining projects in Europe and beyond, with a view to integrate the experiences of front line communities in EU policies. This factsheet is part of a series of case studies on contested mining projects, developed by civil society organisations. The factsheets illustrate the structural problems associated with mining projects in Europe and beyond, with a view to integrate the experiences of front line communities in EU policies.

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile (SQM) is an international mining company established in 1968. SQM, partly owned by Chilean and Chinese private investors, operates in the eastern part of the Salar de Atacama, the only salt flat worldwide currently being mined. SQM has a strategic role in Chile’s lithium extraction industry, controlling extensive mining rights in the Salar de Atacama through a lease agreement with Corporation for the Promotion of Production (CORFO) valid until 2030. In 2022, the company managed 2,687,630 hectares of mining concessions, representing 16.2% of all mining concessions in Chile, making it the largest concession holder in the country. The company is active in 7 of the 12 salt flats in the San Pedro de Atacama commune, including the Salar de Atacama, Llano de la Paciencia, Loyoques, Aguas Calientes Centro, Capúr, El Laco, and Pulár. Indigenous communities live in all these areas. As the Atacama, the world’s driest desert, is gradually losing its last water resources, indigenous communities have been sounding the alarm for several years – backed up by scientific research and environmental organisations.