Rohstoffgerechtigkeit: Simbabwe im Lithiumrausch

Lecture with activists from Zimbabwe

Lithium has been one of the most sought-after raw materials in the world for several years and is central to the green transformation. The light metal is a key component of batteries in electric cars, for example. The ever-increasing demand has a significant impact on resource-rich countries such as Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has the largest lithium reserves in Africa and the fifth largest in the world. The country is currently experiencing a lithium boom and is paying a high price for it: environmental destruction, displacement and social conflicts characterize everyday life in the mining areas. Many local communities are hardly benefiting from the energy transition - instead, colonial power structures between North and South are being consolidated, with profits and costs being distributed extremely unequally.

Activists from the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG) have documented the effects of lithium mining in a recent study: Forced relocation, social tensions, environmental degradation and health problems caused by contaminated drinking water are impacting the lives of local people.

At the evening event, we would like to discuss the results of the study and ask ourselves the following questions: What responsibility does the Global North bear for the consequences of the energy transition? How can we ensure that the transition to renewable energies does not take place at the expense of the people in the countries of extraction?

The speakers
Ndaizivei Garura is a social scientist and a proven expert in environmental policy, specializing in environmental law, gender and resource extraction, climate justice and mineral resource governance. She is a passionate advocate for the rights of affected communities and sustainable development.

Zacharia Grand is a postdoctoral researcher with expertise in climate change, governance, critical minerals and global partnerships.