"Less than 50 kilometers (31 miles) separate Serbia's Jadar Valley and Bosnia's Mount Majevica two regions divided by a border but bound together by lithium deposits and fears of industrial plunder. In both countries Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina foreign mining giants have set their sights on the region's deposits of lithium, a lucrative chemical element crucial for renewable energy systems. And in both countries, they are being opposed by unusually dogged, globally networked civic movements."
"Lithium is among the world's most sought-after minerals and is often referred to as "white gold" because of its key importance to renewable energy systems, which often include rechargeable lithium batteries. But as important as lithium may be for the energy transition, activists warn that the extraction of lithium can ravage ecosystems and harm human health. One of the reasons for this is that it requires the use of chemicals such as sulfuric acid, which can contaminate soil, water and air."
Less than 50 kilometers separate Serbia's Jadar Valley and Bosnia's Mount Majevica, both rich in lithium and targeted by foreign mining companies. Local communities and civic movements in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have organized sustained opposition to proposed extraction projects. Activists warn that lithium extraction often requires sulfuric acid and other chemicals that can contaminate soil, water and air, damaging ecosystems and human health. Serbian scientists reported exploratory drilling had polluted soil in 2021 and cautioned that toxins carried by ground and surface waters could cross national borders. Resistance in Serbia began after a 2019 municipal meeting sparked widespread local assemblies.
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