As global demand for lithium continues to grow, Chile is grappling with how to balance economic development, state oversight and environmental concerns surrounding one of the world's largest lithium reserves. Geography and Anthropology Associate Professor James J.A. Blair explains that "lithium sits in a legal gray zone in Chile. It’s formally non-concessionable — meaning private actors can’t just stake a claim the way they would for copper — but in practice, the state has delegated extraction through long-term agreements that are incredibly favorable to a small number of firms” — a framework established after Chile designated lithium a strategic resource in 1979. 

This article was originally published by Coda on July 15, 2026.