Afghanistan’s Lithium: Sovereignty vs. Foreign Exploitation

Aug 12, 2024 | Hamayun Khan
View Original

Afghanistan sits atop vast lithium reserves and faces a pivotal decision: leverage this mineral wealth to assert national sovereignty and drive local development or risk exploitation by foreign powers eager to dominate the global supply chain for electric vehicles (EV).

Lithium, essential for EV batteries and clean-energy storage, is in high global demand, making Afghanistan’s reserves very significant. A decade ago, U.S. geologists estimated Afghanistan’s mineral wealth, including lithium at $1 trillion — enough potentially to stabilize the country’s fragile economy. Afghanistan’s current Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has identified an abundance of lithium reserves in provinces like Helmand, Nuristan, and Ghazni.