Last Friday, June 5 of this year, on the day of the environment, as Fundación Glaciares Chilenos we were part of the event “Glaciers and water security in days of health crisis”, where the main reason was the launch of a video and the primer “Glaciers of Chile: The mining lobby and the tortuous path to protect them”. Context in which multiple agents from different institutions and organizations of great relevance in the framework of glacier protection participated. Among them:
- Sara Larraín, executive director of Chile Sustentable, who spoke about the current context of glaciers and the systematic impact to which they are subjected, due to the stress of human activities, such as mining.
- Senator Guido Girardi, author and promoter of the Glacier Protection Law and member of the Mining and Energy Commission.
- Senator Yasna Provoste, in charge of chairing the Senate Special Committee on Water Resources and member of the Mining and Energy Commission, legislating in favor of water as a human right.
- Ignacio Verdugo, secretary of the Mapocho Basin Defense Corporation.
- Marcela Mella, spokesperson coordinator for Ciudadana Ríos del Maipo.
Felipe Espinosa, executive director of Fundación Glaciares Chilenos, made his participation by enumerating and elucidating the distribution and morphological variety of glaciers throughout the country, contextualizing what happens in the most arid regions with respect to the state of unprotected glaciers, which they are precisely strategic water reserves.
They also discussed the Glacier Protection Law (Bulletin 11876-12), which has seen its progress diminished since September 23, 2019 in the Senate Mining and Energy Commission. Sustainable Chile called for the protection of this resource in our country, since they are essential for the water security of millions of Chileans, especially now, taking into account the current context of the health crisis caused by Covid-19.
We are honored as a Foundation, to participate in this important meeting and to be part of the discussion tables on these issues that affect us all. The protection of glaciers is extremely necessary in the context of climate change, so we will continue our work to inform and educate people about these true ice treasures.
Event video:
Source:
Chile Sustentable: Cartilla Glaciar
