A Facebook post claims that The fires that affected the central and northern region of mainland Portugal this summer are “convenient” for lithium prospecting in the country.

The theory is presented accompanied by a map, whose source is attributed to the General Directorate of Energy and Geology, which marks the “projects that could advance in the Continent”. There are six: Seixoso-Vieiros, Guarda-Mangualde Noroeste, Guarda-Mangualde Oeste, Guarda-Mangualde Centro, Guarda-Mangualde Este and Massueime.

The map is true and was originally published in a Sunrise news story from February about the evolution of lithium’s importance. But that same article explains that the There are still six prospecting areas launched by the Government to be put out to tender, in order to verify if they really contain the mineral. Subsequently, more studies are needed to know the feasibility of the exploration. In the end, of the 1,495 square kilometers of area under the Government’s gaze, only up to 3% could be exploited.

And that’s why “There are areas where it is not possible to do more technical work”One expert told Sunrise: “Geologists only look at geological maps, they don’t look at land use, i.e. they don’t consider if you have houses or farmland etc, which means this survey work has to take into account other criteria, namely some conditions, whether they are protected areas, whatever is squeezing the area.”

However, it is true that some of these regions were affected by fires, as revealed by the map of the latest preliminary report of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests (ICNF). For example, the municipality of Covilhã (affected by the great fire in the Serra da Estrela) is one of those that can receive a lithium prospecting plan. But there have also been fires in regions where lithium exploration is not on the table; or locations where it can be deployed that did not experience significant fires this summer. In other words, everything seems to be a coincidence.

By the way, there is a decree-law that hinders the use of the destruction of a forest area in favor of economic interests. Decree-Law No. 55/2007 establishes that, for 10 years, it is prohibited to alter and use land that has been affected by forest fires. This will only be possible if the ban is lifted by order, “provided that the origin of the fire is due to causes beyond the control of the interested parties.” “After the fire, it is expected that the investigation by the competent authorities will establish the facts of the causes of the ignition and the combat approaches”, continues the decree law.

conclusion

no evidence that the fires that hit mainland Portugal, especially in the northern and central regions, were caused to offer an advantage to lithium prospecting in the country. Although some of the municipalities affected by the fires are on the government’s interest list, others were not seriously affected.

Otherwise, Some of the regions most affected by the fires are not possible for lithium prospecting. In addition, there is legislation to prevent the land that was the scene of a fire from being exploited without criteria later.

Thus, according to the Observer classification, this content is:

WRONG

In the Facebook rating system, this content is:

FAKE: The main content claims are factually inaccurate. This option typically matches “false” or “mostly false” ratings on fact-checking websites.