Environmental monitoring, a tool to maintain sustainability
By: Erick Almanza
A safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is considered by the United Nations Organization as a human right which cannot be negotiated. It is precisely for this reason that environmental monitoring is particularly important, because it is a tool which allows development projects to be truly sustainable and environment-friendly.
What is environmental monitoring?
Environmental monitoring consists of carrying out specific measurements and/or observations, aimed at particular indicators and parameters which make it possible to verify whether development projects damage the environment, to what extent and, therefore, how to balance it out.
Consequently, environmental monitoring is an environmental management mechanism, where indicators are set in order to measure changes in environmental variables associated with the execution of a productive or service activity, as well as to verify that the proposed mitigation measures are fulfilled.
Therefore, environmental monitoring is key to environmental management, since it is thanks to it that the data, which makes possible to plan the deployment of measures that limit, mitigate or avoid environmental deterioration, becomes avalable.
Far from what many might think, the environmental monitoring of projects does not seek to take down investments or expansion plans; on the contrary, it intends to provide enough elements for a developer to identify flaws which can be corrected so that the growth of a city or a region goes hand in hand with the protection of the natural environment. .
It cannot be otherwise: nature no longer tolerates indiscriminate exploitation, as this only brings about serious effects to the prejudice of all, such as the effects of climate change, ranging from droughts, to atypical storms, floods, among others.
Mexico is one of the countries where a careful concern about the environment is required, therefore, it is increasingly important to have good environmental monitoring of projects.
According to a recent study by Greenpeace, our country has spent years at the top of the international lists which warn about deforestation. In fact, the data suggests that the rate at which forests and jungles are destroyed in the country has more than doubled in the last two decades.
The report “Estimation of the gross deforestation rate in Mexico for the 2001-2018 order through the sampling method” by the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), confirms this fact, since for 2018 an annual deforestation rate of 166,337 hectares was estimated. This represents more than double from 17 years ago, when a total rate of 79,677 deforested hectares was estimated. The year with the highest deforestation in Mexico was 2016 with a rate of 350,298 deforested hectares.
What are the advantages of correct environmental monitoring of projects?
- Allows compliance with legislation.
- It improves resource management by allowing cost savings.
- Reduces the risk of environmental accidents.
- It gives a developer recognition of the commitment to the environment, which enhances the image before society and consumers.
- It improves the relationship with the local and environmental Administration, which makes it easier to access public aid and subsidies.
- It gives you advantages over your competitors.
At B + F we offer solutions focused on promoting development, competitiveness and environmental performance through comprehensive services, with the goal of fulfilling our clients’ needs and contributing to community development in an honest, agile and effective manner.
Among other services, we provide advisory on environmental regulatory issues and formulate environmental impact and risk evaluation studies so that your project develops in the best possible way.