Region

South America

The Andes’ Melting Glaciers

The Andes' glaciers are rapidly melting as global temperatures continue to rise. Climate change has already taken a heavy toll on the glaciers of Antisana, Ecuador’s fourth highest mountain.

Ecuador: Antisana's Vanishing Glaciers

Climate change may affect not only the ice cap on Antisana, but also the páramo, the spongy grassland that surrounds it—and provides Quito, Ecuador's capital, with one-third of its water.

Bolivia: El Alto's Contaminated Waters

El Alto is one of the fastest-growing cities in South America, but its infrastructure is lagging. The city’s wastewater is piped directly into rivers that connect to Lake Titicaca.