High in the Andes, Jujuy faces a modern struggle over its ancient water supply.

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Jujuy, an Argentine province bordering Chile and Bolivia, is a land of extreme altitudes and diverse landscapes. While its rugged terrain holds vast mineral wealth, including significant lithium reserves, local Indigenous communities are now challenging the industrial extraction methods that threaten their scarce water resources and traditional ways of life.

Jujuy is defined by the dramatic geography of the Andes, where elevations reach 16,500 feet. This extreme environment has shaped human settlement for centuries, long before the Spanish conquest. Indigenous groups, such as the Omaguacas and Ocloyas, established complex agricultural systems and stone fortresses, like Pucará de Tilcara, to thrive in the arid high-altitude zones. These communities adapted to the harsh climate by domesticating animals like the guanaco and developing terrace farming techniques that persist in various forms today.

The province’s history is marked by colonial disruption and the subsequent rise of extractive industries. Following the 16th-century Spanish conquest, Indigenous populations faced systemic marginalization, including land dispossession and forced labor. Today, this legacy of inequality continues, with Indigenous communities in rural highland regions disproportionately affected by poverty. While the province has seen industrial development—ranging from 20th-century steel mills to modern petroleum extraction—these advancements often clash with the needs of local populations who rely on the land for subsistence.

The current tension centers on lithium, a critical component for modern technology. Argentina is the world's second-largest lithium brine producer, with much of this activity concentrated in Jujuy. However, extraction is water-intensive in a region where water is already scarce. Local groups, including the Colla people, have united to oppose these operations, citing the depletion of aquifers and the potential for chemical contamination. As of 2019, reports indicated that 10 billion liters of water were being pumped from deep underground into solar ponds at a single salt lake, fueling a growing movement for political recognition and environmental protection.

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