Environmental engineers are responsible for the sustainable management of natural resources, the protection of ecosystems, and the mitigation of environmental impacts through innovative solutions in pollution control, waste management, and resource conservation. This is why we acquire knowledge of environmental processes and dynamics. Industrial and urban processes are subject to environmental regulations established by both international bodies and state authorities.
Part of becoming an engineer is understanding how much of our work is governed by regulations, laws, and standards. While university education provides you with the technical, critical, and scientific knowledge necessary for your field, it also prepares you to navigate the constraints and requirements imposed by the legal and regulatory frameworks within which you will operate.
In many cases, engineers follow pre-defined standards to assess compliance with environmental laws. One key institution in this process is the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente), which ensures adherence to environmental laws and regulations. MiAmbiente was established under Law 41 of 1998, and later, under Law 8 of 2015, the basis for the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems was further reinforced. Further on I will note some of the laws that should be important to us and their main articles and/or remarks.
The executive arm of the Comisión Panameña de Normas Industriales y Técnicas (COPANIT) is the Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology (DGNTI). COPANIT's main objectives are the development of standards, standardization, and quality certification in Panama.
There are many COPANIT regulations; in fact, there are over 500 covering different sectors, such as construction, buildings, food, electricity, chemistry, and many other. Each COPANIT regulation ensures that the industry is adhering to minimum international standards in terms of quality and safety (both human and environmental). This means that COPANIT laws align with internationally recognized standards, ensuring that the production of goods can compete in the global market and that environmental laws comply with international norms.
What does COPANIT have to do with Environmental Engineering?
Well, many environmental processes are standardized by COPANIT to avoid environmental contamination, promote public health and sustainability. Some examples are the disposal of water into natural effluents, the reuse of gray water, water quality, and sludge disposal. Environmental engineers are expected to review these regulations to ensure that any affected waterbody meets the minimum water quality requirements. However, obtaining water quality parameters from water bodies is not an easy task, as it may require expensive and/or certified equipment for various water quality parameters, as well as visits to the different sites that may be affected or that we are interested in. The executive arm of the Comisión Panameña de Normas Industriales y Técnicas (COPANIT) is the Directorate of Standards and Industrial Technology (DGNTI). COPANIT's main objectives are the development of standards, standardization, and quality certification in Panama.
While the environment and natural resources lack a price, they do hold value. This value lies in the fact that natural resources and the environment fulfill at least four functions that are positively perceived by society:
i) They are part of the production function for a wide range of economic goods and services,
ii) They provide natural goods whose services are in demand by society,
iii) They act as a receptor for various types of waste and residues, and
iv) They constitute an integrated system that provides the essential means to sustain all forms of life.
Economic valuation involves assigning monetary values to the goods and services generated by the environment, aiming to establish economic and political rationality in their management. These valuations can be debatable, as they may contain incomplete or manipulated information. Resources are divided into those for current use and potential use. The potential value refers to the certainty of having resources available in the future for possible individual use or as a legacy. The non-use value, also called existence value, pertains to the intrinsic value that environmental goods possess.
In general, direct use values are of greater significance. Regarding existence or non-use values, their importance may be low or negligible, as the existence value of resources is not tied to practical use (a segment of the population values the mere existence of a resource).
Not all natural resources have a reference market to provide necessary information about their value. Some resources with a reference market reflect their value through the costs incurred during exploitation; however, this cost is only partial and does not account for the total environmental cost in terms of impact or resource depletion. For example, the market price of raw materials does not reflect the full cost of environmental damage.
In cases where no market exists for an environmental good, other, more subjective techniques must be employed. The first approach involves direct or hypothetical methods, which estimate the monetary value of certain goods through hypothetical markets or environmental assets. The second approach relies on indirect or observable methods, based on the relationship between goods in conventional markets and a specific environmental good.
Another methodology involves asking individuals to directly reveal their valuation of the environmental good through surveys, questionnaires, voting, or other procedures. These methods involve directly inquiring about their willingness to pay for a good or service.
In the case of indirect methods, the aim is to infer value from behavior and the relationship between the good under study and the related market. Categories involved in these valuations include changes in productivity, replacement costs, mitigation expenditures, travel costs, hedonic prices, travel-hedonic costs, and hedonic wages. Travel cost methods are commonly used to evaluate benefits derived from wilderness areas, but they are infrequently applied due to the inherent difficulties and limitations in their estimations.
Contingent valuation is based on the values individuals provide when asked about specific objectives under analysis. Specifically, this method involves responding to a series of questions that establish a hypothetical market based on willingness to pay or sell. Examples of contingent valuation include assessments related to water and air quality, aesthetic beauty, recreational value, preservation of wilderness areas, risks of smoking, impacts of climate change, road construction, fishing, and more.
Environmental engineering encompasses a broad spectrum of environmental issues. I chose not to dive too deeply into the technical or scientific details, as there are numerous resources out there for in-depth exploration. However, I hope these less commonly discussed topics within the field offer aspiring engineers a glimpse into what they might face in their careers. Best of luck!
Asamblea Nacional, Republica De Panama. (2006). Ley No. 44. In G.O. 25680. https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/pan74443.pdf
Cancino, J. (2001). Valoración económica de recursos naturales y su aplicación a las áreas silvestres protegidas.
DGNTI. (2024). ISO. https://www.iso.org/member/2031.html
Ministerio De Economia y Finanzas. (2009). Decreto Ejecutivo. In Gaceta Oficial (p. 38). https://docs.panama.justia.com/federales/decretos-ejecutivos/123-de-2009-aug-24-2009.pdf
Republica, E., Ministerio de Agricultura, Comercio e Industrias, Comisión Nacional de Aguas, Ministerio de Trabajo, Previsión Social y Salud Pública, Instituto de Recursos y Electrificación, Instituto de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Nacionales, Comisión de Reforma Agraria, & Sociedad Panameña de Ingenieros y Arquitectos. (1966). DECRETO LEY No.35 Reglamenta el uso de las aguas. In Consejo de Gabinete & Comisión Legislativa Permanente de la Asamblea Nacional, Decreto Ley. https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/pan3019.pdf
Sala-Seem. (2018, March 3). Inicio. SALA - Secretaría Para La Aplicación De La Legislación Ambiental. https://sala-seem.org/Post date: 2024-10-19
Last edit: 2024-12-23