Buenos Aires, March 26 – The Chamber of Deputies is holding the second public hearing, remotely, on the reform of the glacier law, in which about 200 speakers will participate. The ruling party aims to conclude the public meetings with citizen participation today to be able to issue a report in a plenary session of committees between March 31 and April 7 and to debate it in the session room between April 8 and 9, according to parliamentary sources. The authorities of the Natural Resources and Constitutional Affairs committees are leading the meeting from 10:00 AM in the Annex C hall of the legislative body. The first session took place in a tense atmosphere with strong protests from environmentalists. The registry was updated in 2024 for the sectors of large deserts and is currently under technical review in the Central Andes area. The president of the Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences (IANIGLA), Pablo Villagra, rejected the reform approved by the Senate and highlighted the glacier inventory conducted by that organization. He stated that the law approved by the Senate does not represent an improvement over the current law because it leaves ice areas unprotected. This tool is considered a key piece for territorial planning and the protection of water resources in the mountain ranges. Villagra specified that 16,078 glaciers were detected in the continental area and almost 17,000 in the islands, which is only 0.8% of the mountain range's surface. This information is available to everyone on the 'Glaciares Argentino Global' website. Speakers from Buenos Aires, La Rioja, and Misiones provinces expressed their rejection of the hearing's methodology and the Senate-approved law, which could expand mining investments. Over 100,000 people registered to participate. The 'La Libertad Avanza' party designed a mixed participation format, in which 180 speakers participated yesterday and another 200 will do so today.
