Chile

By far the largest ice cover in South America is found in Chile, with more than 85% of glaciated area located in the Patagonian Icefields. Outside of the north and south poles, Chile is home to one of the world’s largest reserves of freshwater, but the abundant glaciers that are the source of this reserve are melting fast. According to the World Resources Institute, Chile is the Americas country most at risk of extremely high water stress. More than 7 million people living in and around the capital, Santiago, rely on the glaciers to feed most of their water supply in times of drought.