Colombia’s atrato river guardians fight copper mining as energy transition accelerates

In the lush rainforests of Colombia’s Chocó region, the Atrato River serves as far more than a waterway—it’s the heartbeat of indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities who depend on it for drinking water, food, transportation, and cultural traditions. “People bathe in the river, they eat from the river — they live, dance and sing there,” explains Dora Agudelo Vazquez, one of 14 official guardians appointed to protect this unique ecosystem. “Their whole lives are bound to the river.”

But Agudelo Vazquez and local communities are raising urgent concerns about Colombia’s only active copper mine, Minera El Roble, located just two miles from the town of El Carmen de Atrato. While copper is essential for renewable energy infrastructure like wind turbines and electric vehicles, river guardians argue the mine is polluting the 435-mile Atrato River and failing to meet environmental commitments. The conflict highlights a growing global tension: how to source materials needed for clean energy without destroying the ecosystems that communities depend on for survival.

The Atrato River gained unprecedented legal protection in 2016 when Colombia’s Constitutional Court declared it a “subject of rights”—essentially granting the river personhood status. This landmark ruling also established the Guardian Commission to monitor the river’s health. However, environmental groups and local communities allege that regulatory oversight remains weak, and mining operations continue to threaten water quality. As demand for copper soars due to the global energy transition, the battle over the Atrato River represents a critical test of whether environmental justice can coexist with climate action.