Jennifer Moore

One brisk, sunny morning in El Alto, a sprawling suburb on the edge of La Paz on Bolivia’s high altiplano, I stand atop a squelchy pile of garbage. A stunning view of snow-capped peaks defines the horizon in every direction. My guide, Antonio Barroso, indulges my curiosity and points out the majestic cone of Huayna Potosí and the sloping crest of Mururata. But he is more concerned with what is happening under our feet.

A master’s student in a groundbreaking hydrogeology program at Bolivia’s Saint Francis Xavier (SFX) University in Sucre, Barroso wants to know if this landfill is contaminating the drinking water ...