A dramatic expansion of illegal rare earth mining in Laos is putting one of Southeast Asia’s most vital waterways at serious risk. New research from the Stimson Center has identified 27 rare earth mines that have opened across Laotian river basins since 2022, with seven beginning operations just this year. Most alarming: 23 of these mines are located in protected areas, and rare earth extraction remains illegal in the country.

The mining boom, driven by Chinese demand for these critical minerals used in electronics and renewable energy technology, poses a direct threat to the Mekong River system. Fifteen mines are operating within the Mekong River Basin itself, concentrated along the Nam Khan and Nam Ngiep rivers that feed into the main waterway. Additional mines on the Nam Hao and Nam Xan rivers threaten Vietnam’s transboundary waters and the Nam Xam National Biodiversity Conservation Area.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for the region. The Mekong River stretches nearly 3,000 miles from Tibet through six countries before reaching the South China Sea, supporting over 50 million people who depend on it for food, water, and their livelihoods. The river basin is also a recognized biodiversity hotspot, home to countless species that could face contamination from mining runoff.

With rare earth extraction known to produce toxic waste that can poison waterways for decades, these unauthorized operations represent a looming environmental crisis that extends far beyond Laos’ borders, potentially affecting the entire downstream Mekong community.