Abstract ID: 3.11500 | Accepted as Poster | Poster | TBA | TBA

Glaciers are indicators of climate change, contribute key water resources to rivers around the world, and can be iconic elements of the landscape. However, the cultural impacts of their retreat have been largely overlooked in research, particularly in the Central Andes. We use the case of the retreating glaciers of Cerro El Plomo near Santiago, Chile to call for more collaborative studies between glaciologists, social scientists, and local communities to understand the cultural loss and damage of glacier retreat from climate change. Glaciers of Cerro El Plomo are some of the most visible and culturally significant glaciers in the Santiago region and have retreated at an alarming rate in recent years. Revered as an apu, or sacred protector, by Indigenous Andean peoples, Cerro El Plomo and its glaciers hold a unique place in Santiago’s identity and culture. We argue that the retreat of these glaciers represents not only a water security risk but also a profound cultural loss. Previous studies reveal a trend of increasingly negative mass balance for the glaciers of Cerro El Plomo in recent decades. Our analyses indicate that the three glaciers have lost 38% of their area on average since 2000. A review of local literature finds that the loss of these iconic glaciers threatens eroding the identity, culture, and sense of belonging of the inhabitants of the region. We conclude by outlining ways forward for interdisciplinary collaboration between glaciologists and social scientists on cultural implications of cryosphere retreat, loss and damage, and climate change adaptation in the Andes.