This Monday, February 24th, the **World Bank recognized [the rights of indigenous communities](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/derechos-de-pueblos-indigenas-argentina-fue-el-unico-pais-de-la-onu-en-votar-en-contra-de-una-resolucion/)** in the north. It did so by suspending the studies that **Salta and Jujuy** were seeking to carry out in the territory of several villages without their prior consultation or consent.
Specifically, this action was directed towards the communities in the **Salinas Grandes** and **Laguna de Guayatayoc** basin.
## Indigenous communities’ rights and World Bank’s recognition
This decision is part of the recent creation, by the governments of both districts, of the **Interjurisdictional Commission for the Comprehensive Environmental Management of the Salinas Grandes Basin**.
Its goal is to conduct **hydrogeological studies** and determine the environmental baseline of that water basin for lithium exploration and **exploitation**.
The provinces did not consult or invite the communities living in the basin territory to participate.
Furthermore, they tried to use it **to partially fulfill** a claim made by the Salinas Grandes communities and the **Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN)**, which has been ongoing since **2019** before the **Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation**.
The governments of the mentioned provinces turned to the **World Bank to request technical intervention**. The entity, after receiving a letter from the communities expressing their concerns and alerting about the conflict situation, decided to suspend the studies.
This is until the **international standards** of [indigenous rights](https://noticiasambientales.com/medio-ambiente/los-pueblos-indigenas-son-fundamentales-para-cuidar-la-biodiversidad-del-planeta/) are **respected**. “Especially, the right to prior, free, and informed consultation,” specified FARN.
## Fundamental progress in the recognition of rights
“In this way, the entity makes a crucial advance in the face of the **systematic violation** of the rights of the communities in the Salinas Grandes and Laguna de Guayatayoc Basin by the State and companies!” they emphasized.
In this regard, they detailed that among the companies are **Dajin, Tecpetrol, Pluspetrol, and Pan American Energy**.
“They seek approval for operations in total contradiction with international human rights standards. In fact, these companies **align with provincial governments** to achieve project approval with the endorsement of a single community, dividing communities that share a territory and culture, contradicting international law,” they state.
With this division strategy, “they also ignore the comprehensiveness and **biocentric vision of the water basin**, recognized by the Supreme Court in the case.”
“The World Bank confirms what FARN and indigenous communities have been warning: the production of necessary information to make decisions about the use of a territory must be **done ensuring participation and consultation**,” stated FARN.
Moreover, the information should be part of a broader discussion on the development priorities of the communities living there, not solely aimed at sustaining and promoting economic activity.
They insisted that processes aimed at fully understanding a territory (environmentally and culturally) should focus on **broadly discussing diverse options**.
“Within this framework, the preservation of life, culture, and identity of communities should be the essential condition, and lithium exploitation just one option,” among many others.
“Given the importance of the World Bank’s decision, we urge mining companies and provincial governments with an interest in exploiting lithium from the Salinas Grandes territory **to take a similar stance** and commit to respecting the rights of the communities,” they concluded.
*Source: FARN*
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