 |
|
Increasing and Improving Natural Resources |
|
|
|
|
EnvironmentSolutions to issues that appear to be environmental in nature are likely to have impacts on economic growth and health and often require support from within the government to be effectively implemented. For example, an aquifer and river system used for drinking water that have been polluted by industrial effluents can, at one level of resolution, appear to be a straightforward technical issue within the area of environment. An environmental approach to dealing with it is to determine the nature and extent of the release, identify the polluter, and develop a technical solution to both the pollution and the disposal of the effluent. While the technical solution is relatively straightforward, there must be policies, laws, and regulations to ensure the required changes are made and sustained. However, political will must exist to make these changes in the face of opposing interests. Lacking it, polluted drinking water leads to increased morbidity and mortality with attendant economic and social impacts. Mothers are forced to stay away from work in order to care for sick or weakened family members and children may be too ill to attend school and, therefore, unable to effectively compete for better-paying jobs. Environmental and other problems that begin in the watershed will often be magnified in the estuary, sometimes causing significant impacts to the people who live there and their environment. Many times the impact is so divorced in time or space from the incident that people are not always able to point to a culprit. Nevertheless, being able to identify the policy, institutional, and technological solutions for the problem is crucial if it is to be managed sustainably.
|
|
|
|
|
Privacy Statement | DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this Web site is not official U.S. government information. Copyright © 2005–2006 Mendez England & Associates
|