KTH doctoral student wins international prize for research on lithium extraction and groundwater

Lizangela Sofía Huallpara Lliully, a doctoral researcher working within SEED’s Sida-funded collaboration with Bolivia, has received First Prize in the Research Presentation category at the international webinar Building a Cleaner Tomorrow: Environmental Pollution Challenges, Treatment Solutions, and Circular Models for Sustainable Development.

The event was part of the ICSDG-2025 series organized by the Centre for Research on Environment, Sustainability Advocacy, and Climate Change (REACH) at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), India.

Her award-winning presentation, Water Quality in the Era of Lithium Extraction: Impacts and Risks on Baseline Groundwater Quality in the Salar de Coipasa Basin, Bolivian Altiplano, addressed the implications of the rapid expansion of lithium extraction in the Andean region - particularly within South America’s globally significant Lithium Triangle - for groundwater resources and drinking-water security.

“With the rapid expansion of lithium extraction in the Andes, understanding its potential impacts on groundwater resources is crucial,” says Huallpara. She continues: “The objective of this work is to establish a comprehensive baseline of groundwater quality in the Salar de Coipasa Basin prior to large-scale lithium extraction.”

Her doctoral research is jointly supervised by Professor Prosun Bhattacharya (SEED, KTH) and Dr. Mauricio Ormachea (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Bolivia).