Climate Change Impacts On The Northwestern Andean (NOA) and Western (Cuyo) Andean Regions of Argentina - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 469

climes and biomes than the former. On the NOA and Cuyo regions there
are no data adequately disaggregated (or at least data that can be used as
a basis) to assessing the impacts of touristic activities on both the local and
the global biophysical and biological environments.
Mining
In the NOA and Cuyo regions mining is a widespread extractive activity,
particularly in the High Andes and Puna ecoregions. Several minerals are
extracted from the ranges in the High Andes: gold, silver and copper (NOA
and Cuyo), lead and zinc (NOA). Sodium, lithium, borate and potassium
salt deposits are also common in the High Andes (Minería 2009).
Open-pit surface mining is the most common extractive procedure
used in Argentina (Comelli et al. 2010). It is considered harmful to the
environment, particularly in the case of metal ore mining where large
amounts of removed rock are washed with corrosive and/or toxic chemicals
for extracting the mineral of interest (Brenning and Azócar 2010). This
technology uses large amounts of water, which on the one hand poses
an environmental risk and, on the other hand, competes with its use in
agriculture and human consumption. Mining not only contaminates water
because of acid rock-drainage; mining in the vicinity of glaciers degrades
the permafrost and creates instability in the glacier, eventually leading to its
complete loss (Brenning and Azócar 2010). Other impacts of open-mining
are related to aesthetics, noise, air quality (dust and pollutants), vibration,
water discharge and runoff, subsidence and process-wastes.
Oil and petrochemical industries
Oil wells in production are in the provinces of Jujuy and Salta (NOA) and
in the province of Mendoza (Cuyo). The average (2004-2008) reserve of
those wells was just about 13% of the national average for that period.
Petrochemical industries are present in Cuyo but not in NOA.
Typical water use in oil refi neries ranges from 246 to 341 liters per barrel
of oil (Sandy 2005). In refi neries water is basically used for steam production,
cooling service and removal of water-soluble inorganic compounds (utility
water). About 48% of the total use of water is for cooling; this is consumptive
use of water and it returns to the atmosphere by evaporation. In the
petrochemical industry most of water is also used for cooling. Wastewater
is generally reused in steam systems, but after some purifi cation. Water use
in oil exploration is negligible except in the case of enhanced oil recovery.
The use of water in the oil and petrochemical industry might compete
with other uses under a scenario of global warming-induced water stress