In Argentina's Catamarca province, lithium mining operations at the Salar del Hombre Muerto have been linked to the drying up of the Los Patos River, a critical water source for local communities and ecosystems. The extraction process consumes vast amounts of water, exacerbating scarcity in this arid region. In 2021, local NGOs filed a lawsuit alleging that the government of Catamarca did not carry out “an environmental impact assessment that contemplates the cumulative effects” of lithium mining operations. In response to environmental concerns, in 2024, an Argentine court suspended new mining permits in the area, mandating comprehensive environmental impact assessments before any further development.