Covas do Barroso is a small community, located in the small, mountainous northern Boticas region of Trás-os-Montes. Its residents are currently in a valiant battle to stop the expansion of lithium mining, led by the British company Savannah Resources. The multinational corporation established a concession to mine 542 hectares in this stunningly picturesque region. This region is known for its deep natural history and agricultural significance. As we celebrate this victory, the people’s struggle is clearer and stronger than ever. Their recent release of the documentary film “Savannah and the Mountain” dramatizes their struggle for land and identity.
The struggle heated up when former Secretary of State for Energy, Maria João Pereira, acted unilaterally in December. She cut administrative burden and red tape for Savannah Resources. Local residents are understandably outraged by this action. They fear that oncoming waves of mining activity will wash away their traditional way of life. At the end of March, the European Union proclaimed this exploration as one of 47 strategic mining projects. This decision makes that imperative more urgent than ever.
Community Resilience
As the president of this local community association, Aida Fernandes conveys, residents’ personal bonds to their land run deep. Even as she pushes them toward critical thought, she underscores just how much their lifestyle is connected to the region’s cultural and agricultural legacy. “We live in one of the most isolated regions of the country, but in 2018 it was recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage Site because of the way we live, the way we work the land, the way we relate to nature,” she stated.
Fernandes, who features in Savannah and the Mountain, lifts the curtain on the threats that the proposed mining project would unleash. “When we see a project like this on our doorstep, which endangers everything we have, the way we live, we run the risk of having to leave our place… The film portrays exactly that, our pain,” she remarked. The community’s struggle is no longer just a battle for land — it represents their culture and lifestyle.
Just recently, nearly 100 residents united to help local landowner Benjamim Gonçalves. Now, he’s on the verge of getting ordered to remove a trailer from his property that obstructs Savannah Resources’ machines. This beautiful show of solidarity demonstrates how strong the community’s collective resistance is against what they see as an encroachment upon their rights and ways of life.
A Cinematic Reflection
Directed by Paulo Carneiro, the short movie Savannah and the Mountain provides a distinct artistic look. It expresses the heart of this age-old fight so well. As a musical western, it depicts activism and resistance in a very different way. To Carneiro, film is the most powerful medium to share the urgency of this fight. He expressed, “The people of Covas do Barroso were poorly represented by a documentary, because we needed to put them into action, we needed to take the struggle out of the office, out of the emails, out of the scientific papers that have to be read and re-read and analyzed by specialists, and put the struggle into practice.”
The film premiered at Cannes last year in the Director’s Fortnight section, bringing international attention to the plight of Covas do Barroso. By utilizing storytelling to highlight real-life consequences of mining activities, it aims to mobilize support and awareness beyond regional borders.
The Broader Implications
Portugal holds the biggest lithium reserves in Europe, currently estimated at 28 million metric tonnes of high-grade lithium. As demand for this resource around the world continues to rise, local communities are put under more and more pressure by corporations to tap into these reserves. For rural communities such as Covas do Barroso, the danger is profound. They need to capitalize on new economic opportunities, all while looking to protect and promote their rich cultural heritage.
What’s happening in Covas do Barroso is reflective of a broader conflict between industrial ambitions and local communities across Europe. With environmental issues becoming more apparent, consumers are starting to heavily advocate for more sustainable and responsible resource use. This conflict might be a harbinger of such fights occurring across the continent.
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