Argentina

Beatriz Mendoza and a group of other impoverished residents of the Matanza-Riachuelo River basin, a heavily polluted area of Buenos Aires, fled suit against the federal, provincial, and municipal governments and 44 industrial polluters. They relied in part on section 41 of the Argentine Constitution, which guarantees a right to a “healthy and balanced environment fit for human development.” The Supreme Court of Argentina recognized the standing of three additional organizations that had an interest in the collective right to a healthy environment. It ordered an environmental assessment of the watershed in 2006 and ordered the government to draft a cleanup and restoration plan to be reviewed by university scientists in 2007. In 2008, based on this plan, it issued a comprehensive cleanup order designed to improve residents’ quality of life and restore the river basin environment. The order required that the government provide for a system of public information about the cleanup; eliminate industrial pollution; improve drinking water, sewage, and stormwater systems; establish health programs for residents; and establish a committee of non-governmental organizations together with a national ombudsman to monitor compliance. The Argentine government established a watershed authority to implement the plan, coordinate activities, and monitor and enforce compliance. The World Bank has approved US$2 billion to support the project.