Miguel Mathus Escorihuela: "It's shameful to see how the nation's deputies and senators behave."

He's 86 years old, with the formality of a man his age, but also a subtle sense of humor that allows him to pepper the conversation with subtle yet sharp remarks. "Look, I'm from a bipolar background, let's put it that way," he warns when asked about his story.

Mathus studied law at the University of Mendoza . "I also pursued my entire teaching career there," he emphasizes, adding: "I have been a professor emeritus, an honorary doctorate, and, as a result of my specialty in Water and Environmental Management Law, I have taught at almost every Argentine university and many foreign universities, including Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, and two or three universities in the United States, where I have given lectures and classes in my field."

-He also had an intense political participation

When I was 15, I joined the Radical Civic Union and have made my political career within the party. In addition to party positions, I served as president of the Provincial Committee, and from '83 to '86, I had the honor of serving as a national senator for Mendoza, following the restoration of democracy under Dr. Alfonsín. Since then, I have dedicated myself exclusively to teaching at the National University of Cuyo and the University of Mendoza.

-He always worked hard in Water Law, even today.

-I recently participated in the development of a preliminary draft of the Water Code for Mendoza with a group of Mendoza experts, and that preliminary draft is currently in the hands of the General Superintendent of Irrigation.

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-But you say that agriculture is your passion.

Yes. Now I'm dedicated to tending my property in El Bermejo, in Guaymallén, where I grow vineyards, fruit trees, and olive groves. But, in reality, I've always liked farming, probably because of my mother's support, and I didn't study agronomy because I didn't find physics, chemistry, or mathematics interesting. I wouldn't have made a good agricultural engineer.

-In those first three years since the return of democracy, what are your most vivid memories?

We had to keep in mind the passage of the Executive Branch's bills. We weren't in the majority, and we had to maintain constant contact with the Peronist bloc and the provincial parties. They were all political adversaries, but they were also all good men. There wasn't all the corruption that exists today, nor the discredit that public opinion, quite honestly, currently feels toward Argentine parliamentarians.

-He has a very critical opinion on current politics…

I'm embarrassed watching the activities in the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate on television. It has absolutely nothing to do with what I experienced during those three years in Parliament. It's certainly because of the recent return to democracy that we were very respectful of the internal regulations and the procedures that the internal processes had to follow for the passage and approval of laws. There was more respect for the institutions.

The day I was sworn in as a national senator, I was excited because, as I took the oath, I thought of the distinguished men who had served in the Senate throughout our history. Back then, one felt the level of responsibility one would have in the exercise of that office. Today, it seems that respect for institutions is lacking, and legislators put on a pitiful display. And everything ultimately depends on the personal and intellectual quality of the candidates each party puts forward for election. Even so, I'm hopeful.

-Why your inclination towards Water Law?

"I was always interested. And at the Faculty of Law, I had the privilege of having a great professor, Dr. Joaquín López, who was a professor of Water Law and whom I always remember with great affection, love, and respect, as does Dr. Guillermo Cano. They were the two professors who guided me in my study of Water Law and made me see the importance of the subject, not only here in Mendoza, but also for other regional economies in the country. I owe them what I have achieved. They showed me how to study, how to research, and I am deeply grateful to them."

What do you think about climate change and how have you experienced it, both in your studies and in reality?

-People, in general, haven't noticed the serious climatic consequences. We're barely experiencing any of the consequences of this change. The drought we're going to have this year is an example, just like the ones we've had in previous years. Before, in Mendoza, the Zonda wind only blew in August. Now, we have the Zonda wind 12 months a year, to name just a minor example. But the serious thing is the looming water crisis around the world. The rising ocean levels, the changes the South and North Poles are experiencing.

All of this will lead to a very serious situation for all of humanity. It would be helpful if, starting in primary school, school and university curricula began to raise awareness among students about the consequences of climate change. The world's leading economies continue to pollute without caring. I'm referring to those who continue to pollute the atmosphere, or those who pollute the water, by failing to treat waste, both common waste and atomic waste. This grave international situation we are experiencing is a very serious matter that deserves the attention of all the world's governments and, above all, should be mainstreamed into education, from primary school to universities.

-Will the water in Mendoza ever run out?

-Here, it depends directly on how much snow falls. So, the year it doesn't snow, we lack water, and we'll see that as an example this year. Last year, we had enough snow, and we had a spring and summer where we were able to irrigate all our crops perfectly. This year, we're going to have problems because, in addition, we have one of the highest water consumption rates in the world, and I know what I'm talking about.

We have a per capita consumption of around 60 liters per inhabitant per day, while the rest of the world has around 30. We are doubling global water consumption per inhabitant, in the midst of this looming crisis. And this should make us think. We consequently have to take better care of water, we have to recycle it, and all of these things are not easy to achieve because they deserve or require people to first become aware of what we are talking about. This is the difficult part of the problem.

We'll have to see if governments become aware of this and we can improve this situation. In Mendoza's case, this will mean, among other things, that governments be very careful about their investment in public works, because not always does that investment match real needs. For example, I've been speaking with some people who have asked me why the streets of our city or their departments are constantly being repaired due to broken pipes.

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So I tell them: 'Look, the mayor of Mendoza can't do anything else because the city's water pipes are 120 years old because they weren't replaced at the time. So now he has no choice but to replace the pipes, which is evident everywhere.' To top it all off, the departments don't have sufficient water availability and don't receive running water like the city does. All these problems need to be seriously studied. We need serious public works plans, with adequate prior studies to determine whether these are truly the most appropriate projects or whether the current problems can be improved.

-Besides studying and your profession, what else do you enjoy? What are your acts of pleasure and enjoyment? What are you passionate about?

-Sports-wise, I'm a Boca Juniors fan, so I've had little satisfaction as a fan lately. I like soccer, I like it as a sport, watching it, but I haven't played it. And I really like reading. I like art too. I have those hobbies. For me, reading a good book is a great pleasure. I also like writing. I have a lot of writing that I haven't published, and I plan to polish it and publish it soon because, otherwise, all the time one has spent studying the topics I've written about runs the risk of being lost in the tunnel of time and oblivion.

So I have tasks ahead of me. Those are the things I like. I also like getting together with friends, because it's very important to maintain sociability at this stage of life, because you're always distracted by analysis, problems, and the contingencies your friends face. I have a few friends, but they're good ones.

-What reading do you like?

I generally read topics that have some connection to the studies I do. I like to analyze the programs of water-based economies or those where water plays a fundamental role, because I've seen and analyzed them in the different countries I've had the privilege of visiting. Then I realize, comparing them, that in some aspects we're very backward, and in others we're doing things well, and in others we're not. By reading, you learn a lot about what's happening abroad, and many of those things are applicable in this country. So my days are spent managing the farm, reading, spending quality time with friends, and watching a soccer game on the weekends.

-Do you read literature? Do you like to read any novels?

Yes, I like reading novels. I like authors of my generation. I try to read Argentine authors. I like authors who are my contemporaries. I have a very extensive library, part of which belonged to my father. With all this, sometimes I don't have enough time to do everything I'd like to. Finally, I feel good, I'm in good health. That's how I spend my days.

-And is there also some music in your life?

-Yes, of course, of course. Whenever I can, I go to some of the concerts. One of my grandsons is a great pianist, so I also like the concerts and I go regularly to hear them. Mendoza has some very good musicians.

With a serious face, a cane, and always elegant, Miguel Mathus Escorihuela's presence commands respect, and so does his manner.

He is the most knowledgeable person in the country about water law and is highly recognized abroad.

He is a lawyer, jurist, and scholar of law, a graduate of the Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences of the University of Mendoza. He is Professor Emeritus of Water and Environmental Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Mendoza. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the country and abroad. In 2014 and 2015, he directed the first PhD in Environmental Law and Water Resources in Latin America, which was held at our Faculty. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Mendoza.

He is currently Vice-Rector of the University and Director of the Professor Joaquín López Institute of Water and Environment. His academic career includes serving as President of the Honorable Chamber of Deputies and National Senator for the Province of Mendoza.

In 2019, the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise, which is intended to reward individuals and legal entities and entities, both Spanish and foreign, that have distinguished themselves by their merits in the fields of education, science, culture, teaching and research or that have provided outstanding services in any of them in Spain or internationally, granted him the honorable distinction of his entry into it, with the category of Commander with Plaque.

- A music

-Classical music

-The memory of a politician

-Juan Carlos Pugliese

-The memory of a cultural figure

-Ernesto Sabato

- A pleasure

-Bermejo's farm

-A distraction

-Friends