While the region includes the capital, Lima, and 60 percent of Peruvians, it holds only 2 percent of the country’s water supply. The glaciers are the source of water for much of the coast during Peru’s dry season, which extends from May to September. It is currently receding by about 30 feet a year, scientists say. The retreat of the icecap has exposed tracts of heavy metals, like lead and cadmium, that were locked under the glaciers for thousands of years, scientists say. They are now leaking into the ground water supply, turning entire streams red, killing livestock and crops, and making the water undrinkable.

Source: New York Times November 26, 2017 07:52 UTC