The Glacier Law, Commons, and Disputes over Development

Abstract

The protection of glaciers has become one of the most significant issues on Argentina’s contemporary environmental agenda. Far from being an exclusively technical or legal matter, the debate surrounding the Glacier Law involves fundamental questions related to development models, the governance of commons, the relationship between the national government and provincial authorities, the expansion of extractive activities, and the challenges posed by the climate crisis in the twenty-first century. The recent reform of the existing legislation has reignited controversies that have shaped Argentine society for more than a decade and that reflect broader tensions regarding the appropriation, use, and conservation of nature.