A solar-enhanced lithium extraction system with self-sustaining water recycling from hypersaline salt-lake brines is presented. The system uses a solar microevaporator integrated with a lithium-ion sieve (LTO) and nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC) nanocomposite to achieve efficient lithium recovery and water management. The solar microevaporator, composed of LTO@NMC nanocomposite loaded onto lightweight polystyrene (PS) microbeads, achieves a 98% solar energy harvesting efficiency, significantly enhancing lithium extraction and solar steam generation. The system benefits from photothermal effects, enhanced water flux, and enriched local Li+ supply in nanoconfined spaces, leading to a doubled lithium recovery capacity (from 12.4 to 28.7 mg g⁻¹) under one sun. The self-assembly rotation feature enables self-cleaning desalination, achieving nearly 100% water recovery from hypersaline brines for further lithium elution. Outdoor experiments confirmed the feasibility of stable lithium recovery (>8 mg g⁻¹) from natural hypersaline brines with self-sustaining water recycling. The system offers an integrated solution for sustainable lithium recovery with near-zero water and carbon consumption, addressing the challenges of sluggish kinetics and high water usage in traditional lithium extraction methods. The technology roadmap proposes a solar-enhanced lithium recovery system coupled with water recycling, achieving water footprint balance and enabling sustainable lithium extraction from salt-lake brines. The system demonstrates high localized temperature, self-cleaning ability, and efficient lithium recovery, with the potential for large-scale application in arid and cold salt-lake regions.A solar-enhanced lithium extraction system with self-sustaining water recycling from hypersaline salt-lake brines is presented. The system uses a solar microevaporator integrated with a lithium-ion sieve (LTO) and nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (NMC) nanocomposite to achieve efficient lithium recovery and water management. The solar microevaporator, composed of LTO@NMC nanocomposite loaded onto lightweight polystyrene (PS) microbeads, achieves a 98% solar energy harvesting efficiency, significantly enhancing lithium extraction and solar steam generation. The system benefits from photothermal effects, enhanced water flux, and enriched local Li+ supply in nanoconfined spaces, leading to a doubled lithium recovery capacity (from 12.4 to 28.7 mg g⁻¹) under one sun. The self-assembly rotation feature enables self-cleaning desalination, achieving nearly 100% water recovery from hypersaline brines for further lithium elution. Outdoor experiments confirmed the feasibility of stable lithium recovery (>8 mg g⁻¹) from natural hypersaline brines with self-sustaining water recycling. The system offers an integrated solution for sustainable lithium recovery with near-zero water and carbon consumption, addressing the challenges of sluggish kinetics and high water usage in traditional lithium extraction methods. The technology roadmap proposes a solar-enhanced lithium recovery system coupled with water recycling, achieving water footprint balance and enabling sustainable lithium extraction from salt-lake brines. The system demonstrates high localized temperature, self-cleaning ability, and efficient lithium recovery, with the potential for large-scale application in arid and cold salt-lake regions.