The Argentine Congress has approved changes to the law that facilitate mining in areas where glaciers are located, which activists say weakens the protection of key water sources.
The pioneering Glacier Act, passed in 2010, banned mining and exploration work in the glacier region, protecting them as water sources.
Amendments to the law allow regional governments to decide which areas of the glacier should be protected.
Until now, this has been done by the Argentine Institute for Snow, Ice and Environmental Sciences (Lanigla).
President Javier Millay, who supported the changes to the law, said they "allow provinces to exploit their own resources" and allow mining in places "where there is nothing to protect."
The Argentine Senate had already approved the amendments in February 2026, so passage in the lower house was the last major hurdle.
Opponents of the reforms argue that this will put a key resource - water - at risk.
"Without water, we cannot even think about growth and development," said Congresswoman Natalia de la Sota.
Congresswoman Nancy Picon Martinez, who supported the changes, says the mining industry is portrayed as a "monster."
"The law protects glaciers, no matter how much some people would like us to think otherwise," she said.
From now on, glaciers and periglacial areas, which are not covered by ice but are frozen for at least part of the year, will be protected as part of the national base until regional leaders prove that they do not serve as "strategic" water reserves.
There are 16.968 glaciers in Argentina, which supply water to 36 watercourses in 12 provinces, home to seven million people.
Meltwater from glaciers reduces the effects of droughts, especially in semi-arid provinces like Mendoza, which are increasingly common due to climate change.
Governors from mineral-rich provinces supported the changes to the law, stating that the 2010 Glacier Act stands in the way of "promoting sustainable economic development of the provinces and the state without jeopardizing future generations."
Greenpeace criticized the changes because they argue that not all glaciers and periglacial areas are strategic water sources.
"The primary role of all glaciers and periglacial areas is to be reservoirs of fresh water," said Agostina Rossi Serra, a biologist working with Greenpeace.
"In addition to being water sources because they contain water, periglacial areas undergo gradual melting that feeds rivers and streams in our country," she explained.
"Large parts of our country, especially those that have been eagerly awaiting changes to this law, are arid or semi-arid areas, where there is a shortage of water," she added.
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