AGP Executive Report

Lithium and Water: Bolivia’s lithium ambitions face a basic constraint: water. A review of the Lithium Triangle says brine chemistry and water availability complicate extraction; Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of lithium resources. Calls for local communities to have a voice are growing. Wildlife: Researchers have described the tilcayo, a small wildcat long known to local communities in Bolivia’s Yungas. Its discovery highlights how little is known about the species and where it lives, as deforestation and hunting threaten its survival. Climate: September was the planet’s second-hottest on record, while El Niño is adding pressure to Latin America’s food security. Andean ecosystems: In Chile’s Atacama salt flats, lithium extraction is raising concerns for water, flamingos and Indigenous communities — a warning relevant across the region’s lithium frontier.

Lithium Frontiers: A new look at the Andean salt flats shows why vast lithium resources are difficult to develop: brine chemistry and scarce water complicate extraction across the Lithium Triangle, which includes Bolivia. The debate is also a conservation concern: lithium mining near Chile’s Salar de Atacama puts pressure on flamingos and Indigenous communities. Wildlife Discovery: Scientists have identified the tilcayo, a previously unrecognized wildcat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. The species’ habitat faces deforestation and hunting, and researchers say protection depends on learning where the cat lives. Climate and Food: El Niño is testing food security across Latin America, adding urgency to efforts to help farms and ecosystems cope with climate pressures.

Regional Biodiversity: Colombia’s newly described giant waterlily, Victoria colombiana, may have only 30–50 wild plants left, prompting calls for urgent conservation. Bolivia’s Wildlife: Researchers have identified the Yungas’ elusive tilcayo as a distinct wildcat species. Known threats include deforestation and hunting, and scientists say more work is needed to establish where it lives. Lithium and Water: A review of the Lithium Triangle finds that vast resources do not guarantee easy extraction: brine chemistry and water availability remain major hurdles across Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Climate and Food: September was Earth’s second-hottest on record, while El Niño is adding pressure to Latin America’s food security.

Wildlife: Researchers have identified the tilcayo, a new small wildcat species in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. Its habitat faces deforestation and hunting, while little is known about the cat’s range or way of life. Lithium: Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of identified lithium resources, but a review of Andean salt flats highlights hurdles to extraction, including differences in brine chemistry and limited water. Climate and Food: El Niño is worsening risks to rural livelihoods across Latin America; in central Bolivia, exceptional snowfall buried livestock and left families counting their losses. Global Heat: September was Earth’s second-hottest on record, with 2026 also tracking among the warmest years.

Lithium and Water: Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million tonnes of lithium resources, but extraction across the Lithium Triangle faces hurdles including differences in brine chemistry and limited water. New Wildcat: Researchers identified the tilcayo, a small cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest. The species is threatened by deforestation and hunting, and conservationists say learning where it lives is key to protecting it. Protected Habitat: A new reserve in Baures, Bolivia, helped Rainforest Trust pass 70 million acres protected worldwide. Covering nearly 715,000 acres, Agua Dulce safeguards diverse habitats and wildlife, including jaguars, giant otters and Amazon river dolphins. Climate and Food Security: Unusually heavy snowfall in central Bolivia buried livestock, devastating rural families’ livelihoods. Experts link the extreme event to El Niño–Southern Oscillation, which can disrupt crops and food supplies across the region.

New Wildcat: Scientists have identified the tilcayo, Leopardus tilcayo, in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest—the first newly described living wild-cat species in more than a century. Only one living animal is confirmed, and researchers warn that forest loss and hunting threaten the species. Lithium and Water: A review of 43 salt flats across the Lithium Triangle confirms major resources, but differences in brine chemistry and limited water complicate extraction—key concerns for Bolivia’s lithium ambitions. Protected Habitat: A new 715,000-acre municipal reserve in Baures, Bolivia, safeguards more than 70 mammal species and supports wildlife corridors linking protected areas in Bolivia and Brazil. Climate and Livelihoods: Severe snowfall in central Bolivia buried livestock and devastated rural families’ livelihoods, a report says, underscoring how climate extremes can threaten food security.

New Species: Scientists have identified the tilcayo, a wildcat found in Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forest and the first new living feline species named in more than a century. With only one confirmed living animal known, researchers say learning where it lives is key to protecting it from habitat loss and hunting. Protected Forests: A new 715,000-acre wildlife reserve in Baures, Beni, protects diverse habitats and helps connect conservation areas across the Bolivia–Brazil border. Energy Transition: President Rodrigo Paz has sent lawmakers a proposed electricity law to encourage solar, wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal power, and open generation to private and mixed investment. Beni Wildlife: Bolivia’s reddish and gray lucachi monkeys, found nowhere else, face extinction as their forest habitat becomes fragmented. Climate and Food Security: Heavy snowfall in central Bolivia killed llamas, alpacas and sheep, devastating rural livelihoods; experts link the extreme event to El Niño-related climate pressures.

Wildlife Discovery: Scientists have identified the tilcayo, a new wild cat species from Bolivia’s Yungas and the first new wild cat species reported in more than a century. Climate and Food Security: Unusual August snowfall in central Bolivia buried pasture and killed llamas and alpacas, hitting rural families’ livelihoods as El Niño increases pressure on food systems. Protected Areas: A new 715,000-acre reserve in Beni protects diverse habitats and wildlife, including jaguars and river dolphins, and links conservation areas across the Bolivia–Brazil border. Energy Transition: President Rodrigo Paz has sent a proposed electricity law to Congress that would open the sector to more investment and promote solar, wind, biomass and geothermal power. Endemic Primates: Bolivia’s reddish and gray lucachi monkeys, found only in Beni, face extinction as their forest habitat becomes increasingly fragmented.

Protected Areas: Bolivia’s Agua Dulce Municipal Wildlife Reserve in Beni—nearly 715,000 acres—is the project that pushed Rainforest Trust past 70 million acres protected worldwide. It shelters jaguars, river dolphins and hundreds of other species, while linking conservation areas across the Bolivia–Brazil border. Energy Shift: President Rodrigo Paz has sent a new electricity bill to lawmakers, proposing more support for solar, wind, biomass and geothermal power to reduce reliance on gas-fired generation. Wildlife Under Pressure: Beni’s endemic reddish and gray lucachi monkeys face extinction as forests fragment. A first canopy study in the Chiquitano Dry Forest is also revealing little-known mammals living high in the trees. Bolivia’s newly identified wild cat adds to the country’s remarkable biodiversity. Uyuni’s Stakes: Unusual snowfall killed llamas and disrupted grazing in the region, which is also facing declining rainfall. Lithium extraction plans have often lacked transparency and community input, raising concerns for local livelihoods and the salt-flat ecosystem.

Protected Areas: A new 715,000-acre wildlife reserve in Baures, Beni, helped Rainforest Trust pass 70 million acres protected worldwide. Agua Dulce safeguards forests, wetlands and habitat for jaguars, river dolphins and hundreds of other species. Energy Transition: President Rodrigo Paz has submitted a draft electricity law promoting solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and hydropower to reduce reliance on gas-fired generation. Endemic Wildlife: Bolivia’s reddish and gray lucachi monkeys, found only in Beni, face extinction as their forest habitat fragments. Mining and Communities: Plans to expand lithium extraction around Uyuni raise concerns about water, fragile ecosystems and the lack of community input. Forest Research: A first-of-its-kind study is exploring little-known mammals living in the treetops of the Chiquitano Dry Forest. Pollution: Gold mining along the Kaka River has turned parts of a key Amazon ecosystem into contaminated “dead beaches,” according to a recent report.

Biodiversity in the spotlight: WCS Bolivia says Beni is home to two endemic primates—the reddish and gray lucachi—now squeezed by fragmented forests and facing extinction risk. Conservation science: A new study on Chiquitania’s dry forests finds “tree highway” life in the canopy, using camera traps to reveal how little-studied mammals move above the forest floor. Energy transition in Bolivia: President Rodrigo Paz submitted a new Electricity Law draft to the legislature, aiming to modernize the energy framework, expand renewables, and open generation to private and mixed investment. Climate and water stress: Reports on Uyuni’s salt flats highlight how rain can temporarily transform the basin into a massive reflective lake—beauty tied to fragile, changing conditions. Green hydrogen push: Bolivia’s green energy plans point to high-altitude solar potential for green hydrogen production, framed as a way to cut fossil fuel dependence. Wildlife and land use risk: A separate report warns that mercury pollution from gold mining is turning parts of Bolivia’s ecosystems into contaminated “dead beaches.”

New Wildlife Discovery in Bolivia: Researchers have formally described the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a small wild cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests—first new cat species in over a century—highlighting how much biodiversity remains undocumented. Chiquitania Canopy Research: A new study on Bolivia’s Chiquitano Dry Forest shows animals use treetops as “aerial highways,” with camera traps revealing little-known canopy mammals like the woolly-tailed opossum. Amazon Mercury Push: Wake Forest and CINCIA researchers briefed Pope Leo XIV on how gold-mining mercury spreads through ecosystems and reaches Indigenous communities, underscoring the need for stronger environmental safeguards. Bolivia Energy Transition: Bolivia’s government is advancing a Green Energy Promotion Law, pointing to high-altitude solar conditions for competitive green hydrogen production and potential fertilizer uses. Governance & Accountability: Bolivia’s legislature approved a resolution allowing the Assembly to remove the Attorney General in serious-crime cases and appoint an interim prosecutor, tied to current investigations.

Wildlife Discovery in Bolivia: Scientists have formally described Bolivia’s Yungas “tilcayo” (Leopardus tilcayo), the first new living cat species in over a century, based on DNA work and local knowledge. Amazon Pollution & Health: Wake Forest and CINCIA researchers briefed Pope Leo XIV on how mercury from gold mining spreads through Amazon ecosystems and reaches Indigenous communities. Bolivia Energy Transition: Bolivia’s push for green hydrogen highlights high-altitude solar potential and aims to cut fossil-fuel dependence while supporting fertilizer production. Governance & Accountability: Bolivia’s legislature approved a resolution allowing the Assembly to remove the Attorney General and appoint an interim prosecutor if serious crimes are charged. Regional Environment Watch: Suriname’s efforts to evict illegal Amazon settlers face legal and enforcement confusion, while El Niño-linked extreme weather continues to threaten parts of the region.

Wildlife Discovery in Bolivia: Researchers have formally described the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a new small wild cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests— the first newly named living felid species in over a century—after DNA work showed it was distinct from previously lumped “tiger cat” groups. Amazon Mercury Pollution Briefing: Wake Forest and CINCIA researchers presented findings on gold-mining-linked mercury contamination to Pope Leo XIV, highlighting how pollution spreads through ecosystems and reaches Indigenous communities. Green Hydrogen Push in Bolivia: Bolivia’s government and private sector are advancing a green energy shift, pointing to the altiplano’s high solar radiation as a key advantage for competitive green hydrogen production. Bolivia Governance & Justice: Bolivia’s legislature approved a resolution allowing the Chamber to remove the Attorney General directly when charged with serious crimes and appoint an interim replacement to protect investigation transparency. Mining Finance Update: Orvana Minerals’ Bolivian unit amended a US$25m prepayment facility, extending maturity to June 2027 to match production ramp-up at its Don Mario project. Regional Context: Brazil’s election heads toward a tight runoff after neither Lula nor Flavio Bolsonaro won outright, with foreign policy and environmental governance likely to be in the spotlight.

Green Hydrogen Push in Bolivia: Bolivia’s government is advancing a Green Energy Promotion Law to cut fossil-fuel dependence, with green hydrogen highlighted as a near-term strategy thanks to the altiplano’s intense solar radiation and potential uses like advanced fertilizers. Wildlife Discovery in Bolivia: Scientists formally described the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), a new small wild cat from Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, the first new living felid species described in over a century, with local names and DNA work driving the identification. Mercury Pollution Alarm: Wake Forest and CINCIA researchers briefed Pope Leo XIV on Amazon mercury contamination linked to gold mining, warning it spreads through ecosystems and reaches vulnerable Indigenous communities across Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia. El Niño Impacts Across the Region: UNICEF says 25.8 million children in Latin America face rising risks from droughts and flooding tied to a projected record-strength El Niño, including wildfire risk in parts of Bolivia and river-level threats in the Amazon. Bolivia Governance (Legal Oversight): Bolivia’s legislature approved a resolution allowing the Chamber to remove the Attorney General in serious-crime cases and appoint an interim replacement to protect transparency.

Green Hydrogen Push: Bolivia’s government is advancing a Green Energy Promotion Law to cut fossil-fuel dependence, with green hydrogen highlighted as a near-term, solar-rich Altiplano opportunity for export and fertilizer inputs. New Felid Discovery: In Bolivia’s Yungas cloud forests, scientists formally described the tilcayo (Leopardus tilcayo), the first new cat species in over a century, based on DNA work and local knowledge. Mining Mercury Fallout: Wake Forest and CINCIA researchers briefed Pope Leo XIV on Amazon mercury pollution tied to gold mining, warning it spreads through ecosystems and reaches vulnerable Indigenous communities across the region, including Bolivia. El Niño Child Risks: UNICEF says 25.8 million children in Latin America face growing drought and flooding risks from a projected “super” El Niño, with Bolivia among areas facing elevated wildfire and river-level threats. Bolivia Governance: Bolivia’s legislature approved a resolution allowing the Chamber to remove the Attorney General directly when charged with serious crimes and appoint an interim replacement. Disaster Preparedness Reform (BCS): A Mexican bill would upgrade civil protection into a standalone secretariat to speed disaster response after Hurricane Polo impacts.