THE MELTING GLACIERS BEHIND HYDROPOWER

Glaciers store water over the winter and spring and gradually release it in the hot and dry months. In areas with long dry seasons, like the deserts west of the Andes, glaciers act as a buffer, keeping water flowing in periods of drought. La Paz, Bolivia, normally gets about 16 percent of its water from glacier melt, but during droughts, that number can climb to 86 percent. Abe M. - sierraclub.org