Rare Earth Mining Is Poisoning Mekong River Tributaries, Threatening 'the World's Kitchen'

Critical minerals are ‘oil of 21st century’ as demand fuels poverty and pollution in poorer countries

Rush for lithium, cobalt and nickel is ravaging livelihoods, water and health of world’s most vulnerable, UN study says Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel are becoming the “oil of the 21st century” as the scramble for precious metals deepens poverty and creates public health crises in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities, a report by the UN’s water thinktank has found.The investigation by the United Nations Universit…

Africa: The Race to Mine Critical Minerals for AI and Clean Energy Is Creating 'Sacrifice Zones' That Harm Water and Health of World's Poor

Analysis - There is a troubling contradiction at the heart of the global transition to a cleaner, greener, tech-driven future: Modern technologies - everything from AI to wind turbines, as well as cellphones, electric vehicles and defense systems - depend on critical minerals. But many of the communities where those minerals are mined end up with polluted water and poorer health because of the mining.

Pacific Islanders Combat Mercury Poisoning of the Environment

Coastal villages throughout the Solomon Islands rely on selling fish for household incomes. Selling fish in Auki, Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. Credit: Catherine Wilson/IPSBy Catherine WilsonSYDNEY, Australia, Apr 29 2026 (IPS) It is an invisible contaminant that has been found in fisheries, an essential part of the food chain for many Pacific Islanders. Mercury, emitted from fossil fuel power generation and other industrial processes aroun…

Photos show how toxic runoff from rare earth mines are risking Southeast Asia's rivers

Rare earth mining is poisoning Mekong River tributaries, threatening 'the world's kitchen'

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Warning as E.coli found in South Bristol river

The bacteria is potentially dangerous for humans and dogs