Argentina passes bill loosening protection of its glaciers

Key Points:

• Argentina's Congress has passed an amendment easing mining restrictions in glacier regions, shifting the authority to define protected glacier areas from a national institute to provincial governments, a move criticized by environmentalists for weakening water source protections.
• The original 2010 Glacier Law banned all mining and exploration in glacier regions to safeguard them as crucial water reserves, but the reform allows provinces to permit mining if glaciers are not deemed "strategic" water reserves.
• President Javier Milei supports the reform, arguing it empowers provinces to utilize their resources and promotes economic development, while opponents warn it risks vital water supplies needed for growth and drought mitigation.
• Argentina's glaciers, numbering nearly 17,000, supply water to 36 river basins across 12 provinces and support seven million people, with glacier meltwater playing a key role in reducing drought impacts, especially in semi-arid regions.
• Environmental groups like Greenpeace argue that all glaciers and periglacial environments serve as essential freshwater reservoirs, criticizing the bill for undermining comprehensive glacier protection and threatening long-term water security.