Argentina Rips Up Glacier Law, Risks Water Supply
Why it matters: Millions of people's drinking water in Argentina is now at greater risk due to increased mining near glaciers.
- Javier Milei’s reforms to Argentina's glacier law will allow mining in high-altitude areas, according to activists.
- Activists express concern that these reforms risk water reserves, which are already strained by the climate crisis.
- Saul Zeballos, a resident of Jáchal, highlights the community's reliance on river water originating from the Andes, underscoring the direct impact of these legal changes on local drinking water sources.
Argentina's President Javier Milei has enacted reforms that dismantle the nation's pioneering glacier protection law, opening high-altitude Andean regions to mining. Activists warn these changes jeopardize critical water reserves already stressed by climate change, directly impacting communities like Jáchal that rely on glacial meltwater for drinking.
