
Workshops in Bolivia advance the conversation on sustainable infrastructure
In March 2026, Sinfranova facilitated a series of in-person workshops and roundtable discussions in Riberalta, Santa Cruz, and La Paz, Bolivia, to help advance the conversation on sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure in Bolivia. Organized with WWF-Bolivia, with support from WWF-US and collaboration from WWF-Colombia, these sessions brought together local stakeholders, technical teams, public officials, multilateral institutions, and national authorities to explore how sustainable infrastructure can better respond to climate risk, biodiversity priorities, and be mainstreamed into the Economic and Social Development Plan of Bolivia (PDES) 2026-2030.

With over 170 attendees, the workshops created space for participants to connect local perspectives with national planning processes, around the new PDES and related policy instruments. In Riberalta, conversations focused on the Bolivian Amazon and the need to align regional development aspirations with environmental stewardship and legal certainty. Participants highlighted the importance of integrating local knowledge into infrastructure planning, improving coordination across levels of government, and recognizing that green infrastructure and stronger territorial planning can help reduce future risks while supporting livelihoods and connectivity.
In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the discussion turned to the criteria that should guide national-level infrastructure prioritization. Participants – WWF´s local teams– emphasized the need to incorporate climate risk, high conservation value areas, ecological connectivity, biodiversity protection, and community participation into planning and project selection, while also pointing to the importance of developing a national definition of sustainable infrastructure and linking infrastructure to a potential Bolivian green taxonomy.

In La Paz, technical discussions with government representatives focused on current barriers to implementing sustainability practices in infrastructure development, the support and knowledge needed at the national and regional levels, and next steps to develop a combined implementation roadmap. Participants highlighted that sustainable infrastructure is still often treated as a broad concept rather than translated into planning procedures, investment criteria, and institutional practice, and they pointed to the need for stronger public sector capacities, better inter-institutional coordination, updated policy tools, and practical pilot projects that can demonstrate what implementation looks like on the ground.


Finally, the high-level roundtable with national authorities helped move the conversation from broad principles toward more concrete institutional pathways. Among the ideas discussed were the need to define sustainable infrastructure in the Bolivian context, include infrastructure within a green taxonomy, strengthen the role of biodiversity and nature-based solutions in planning, and identify ways to reflect these priorities in the PDES and related legal and investment frameworks.
For Sinfranova, this workshop series highlighted the importance of well-designed facilitation in complex policy environments. Bringing diverse stakeholders together in structured, in-person dialogue helps surface practical insights and build a shared understanding across sectors. It also creates the conditions for identifying actionable next steps when technical considerations, territorial realities, and institutional priorities must be addressed simultaneously.
This process in Bolivia is still evolving, but the workshops helped establish a stronger shared foundation for future collaboration. They also reinforced a key message: sustainable infrastructure is both a technical and governance challenge. It depends on dialogue, coordination, capacity building, and a clear link between national priorities and local realities.
ORGANIZED BY:
Sinfranova and WWF
OVERARCHING GOALS:
Understand the key principles of sustainable and resilient infrastructure and their potential application in the Bolivian context.
Recognize the main impacts of infrastructure and climate change on biodiversity, climate, and communities.
Learn about regional examples and understand how Colombia has implemented the Green Road Infrastructure Guidelines.
Identify priorities and short-term actions to advance towards more sustainable infrastructure planning in Bolivia.
AUDIENCE:
National government, technical teams, local communities and international institutions
MODALITY:
In-person
WORKSHOP LANGUAGE:
Spanish