Security challenges, a lack of infrastructure and severe droughts have prevented the extraction of most valuable minerals in the past. Electricity networks also require huge amounts of copper and aluminum, while rare earth elements are used in the magnets needed to make wind turbines work. While there has been some extraction of gold, copper and iron, exploiting lithium and rare earth minerals requires much greater investment and technical know-how, as well as time. Still, there's a chance the Taliban uses its new power to develop the mining sector, Schoonover said. China, the world leader in mining rare earths, said Monday that it has "maintained contact and communication with the Afghan Taliban."

Source: CNN August 18, 2021 10:41 UTC