Chile's glacier reform: "strategic reserve" article under discussion

The environmental and natural resources commission in Chile's chamber of deputies began voting today (Wednesday) on the fifth article of the proposed bill to reform glacier protection legislation in the country, according to a statement from the chamber.

This article pertains to the government's ability to declare a glacier or group of glaciers as a "strategic reserve" when the ice bodies are considered relevant to the water basins in which they are located and assuming the frozen water masses have existed for a minimum of 10 years, according to the text of the bill.

The strategic reserve declaration would be made via a supreme decree issued by Chile's public works ministry (MOP) and the environmental ministry (MMA), who would base that issuance on a technical report that would need to be filed by Chile's general water directorate and the MMA.

Chile's council of ministers on sustainability would also be required to approve the declaration.

Environmental organization Greenpeace, which has been focusing attention on the proposed legislation, has criticized the bill, claiming that the strategic reserve clause fails to protect all of Chile's glaciers.

Over a five-year period, the government would determine the glaciers to be classified under the strategic reserve clause, but as stated in recommendations added to the bill, any person or company may argue against and remove the strategic reserve tag and ultimately use the water bodies, Greenpeace said in a statement.

Greenpeace became involved in the debate in early 2014 when the group "founded" a new country within Chile, citing the government's institutional inabilities to safeguard glaciers.

It is estimated that South America is home to 29,333km2 of glaciers, of which over 80% are located in Chile, according to Chilean environmental protection group Fundación Terram.

Pictured: A glacier in Chile's Torres del Paine national park. CREDIT: AFP