The nickel ore extraction industry is booming in the Philippines, be it on the islands of Sibuyan, Palawan or Luzon. Nickel is mainly known for its use in stainless steel, but is also used for the production of lithium batteries for solar panels and electric vehicles. The metal is therefore a key component of the energy transition.
The Philippines is home to more than half the world's nickel reserves and is the world's second-largest producer of the metal. So far, the archipelago exploits less than 5 percent of its nickel reserves, but the government is on a quest to identify new mining zones by 2024.
Yet this industry comes at a huge cost to the environment. Local populations and environmental activists are trying to prevent deforestation and water contamination associated with nickel mining. FRANCE 24's Nejma Bentrad and Nabeel Ahmed report.
