Ecuador’s ecological progress is threatened by a series of reforms steamrolled by its young populist president, Daniel Noboa.

The continent wants to reduce the risks of depending so heavily on China for the valuable minerals. The question is how.

Dust and groundwater contaminated with heavy metals and radioactive chemicals pose a health threat that the authorities have been trying to address for years.

Low environmental standards helped China become the world’s low-cost producer of rare earths, but Beijing was also focused on helping the industry.