Specialists, universities, and international organizations will meet at UPB to analyze the challenges and opportunities of lithium, critical minerals, and the sustainable management of water in Bolivia, promoting dialogue between science, international cooperation, and public policies to drive a responsible energy transition based on technical evidence.
La Paz will host the “1st National Meeting: Lithium and Critical Minerals in Bolivia – Water, Science and Sustainable Decisions for the Future”, an academic and technical space that will bring together researchers, universities, international organizations, development cooperation, and specialists in energy transition to discuss the challenges and opportunities Bolivia faces regarding lithium and critical minerals.
The event will take place next May 19, from 15:00 to 17:30, in the Graduate Auditorium of the Bolivian Private University (UPB), in Obrajes – La Paz, with free admission.
The initiative seeks to strengthen dialogue between science, public policy, and society, promoting sustainable decisions on strategic resources linked to the global energy transition, especially in relation to water, high-Andean and Amazonian ecosystems, and local and Indigenous communities.
The meeting will feature research developed by Bolivian universities and international research centers, addressing topics such as mining governance, water resources in salt flats, lithium extraction technologies, battery production, Amazonian gold mining, and integrated watershed modeling.
Among the featured presentations is the CRITICAL WISE project, presented by the Gabriel René Moreno Autonomous University (UAGRM) in alliance with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Ghent University of Belgium, aimed at developing science-based environmental and social safeguards for critical minerals in Bolivia, with emphasis on the Chiquitanía and Indigenous territories.
Likewise, the Tomás Frías Autonomous University (UATF) will present research on water resource management in Nor Lípez and the municipality of Colcha K, integrating hydrogeological modeling, water quality, and water availability scenarios in strategic territories linked to Salar de Uyuni.
The Technical University of Oruro (UTO) will present advances in the production of LiFePO4 batteries using Bolivian raw materials from Salar de Coipasa, Capinota, and Mutún, with a focus on value-added generation and energy transition.
From the Bolivian Amazon, researchers from the Autonomous University of Beni José Ballivián (UABJB) will present studies on illegal alluvial gold mining and its impacts on water resources, Amazonian ecosystems, and Indigenous territories in the Madre de Dios River.
For its part, the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), through IIDEPROQ, will share research on direct lithium extraction technologies, recovery of critical materials, and battery recycling under circular economy and technological sustainability approaches.
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) will also present international experiences in integrated water resource modeling and lithium governance developed in salt flats of Chile and Argentina, as well as initial advances in Bolivia using tools such as WEAP© to strengthen planning and the prevention of socio-environmental conflicts.
The event will also feature a high-level panel made up of representatives from the European Union, IRD France, GIZ, AFD and UNDP, who will address topics related to sustainable financing, energy transition, international cooperation, governance of critical minerals, and public policies for sustainable development.
Among the panelists are Marion Wantroba (European Union Delegation), Marc Pouilly (IRD France), Bernhardt Johst (GIZ Bolivia), Pavel Barrón Mendoza (AFD Bolivia) and Marcelo Arroyo Jiménez (UNDP Bolivia).
One of the main expected outcomes of the meeting is to promote the formation of a future national research network on lithium, water, and critical minerals, aimed at strengthening coordination among universities, research centers, international cooperation, and decision-makers.
The meeting seeks to highlight the importance of science and technical evidence as the basis for Bolivia to participate strategically, responsibly, and sustainably in the global critical minerals chain, in balance with the protection of its ecosystems and the well-being of its people.
Event Information
Event: 1st National Meeting: Lithium and Critical Minerals in Bolivia – Water, Science and Sustainable Decisions for the Future
Date: May 19
Time: 15:00 – 17:30
Venue: UPB Graduate Auditorium – Obrajes, La Paz
Admission: Open event to the public