Following nearly a decade of failed attempts, Argentina’s Congress seemed at the end of September to be on the brink of approving the country’s first wetlands-conservation law. Such legislation has been a longtime goal of scientists, environmentalists and others concerned about protecting freshwater ecosystems amid the expansion of large-scale agriculture, mining and urbanization. And the stage appeared to have been set. Three legislative commissions of the Chamber of Deputies—the lower house of Argentina’s Congress—were slated to meet on Sept. 29 to clear the way for a vote of the full house. The bill, crafted by legislators from various political parties with the support of academic institutions and over 500 environmental organizations, called first and foremost for a thorough inventory of the number, location and extent of the nation’s wetlands. It also required that environmental-impact studies be conducted prior to the approval of development that might... [Log in to read more]