With the growing demand for rare earth elements, their distribution has become a critical aspect of the global economy. Discuss the distribution of rare earth elements across the world, their uses, and the environmental impact of their extraction.

DISTRIBUTION OF RARE EARTH METALS

→ Rare Earth metals like Nickel and Cobalt are found in South American countries like Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina → Lithium is abundantly found in Australia. → Recently, lithium has been discovered in J&K, India → China also has reserves of rare earth metals

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF EXTRACTION

→ Mining requires huge amount of water. This leads to water scarcity. → Dust pollution also happens due to mining. → Land degradation and soil quality degrades due to mining. → Air pollution due to use of mining vehicles. → Habitat of flora and fauna gets disturbed, causing imbalance in the environmental ecosystem.