What is Environmental Engineering?
Engineering can be defined as the application of planning, design, construction, or management phases of a structure, object, or system that benefits society, within the basis of a scientific framework.
The structures, materials, and systems operated by environmental engineers are developed with the aim of preserving and improving environmental quality as well as the health and prosperity of society.
Environmentalist vs. Environmental Engineer
Anyone who is interested in solving environmental problems and putting a voluntary effort toward this goal.
Utilizes scientific and technological resources to solve environmental problems, proposes solution methods, and applies those solutions.
Working Areas of Environmental Engineers
- Drinking water supply and protection of water resources against pollution; project design of treatment facilities
- Drinking water, sewerage, and rainwater network design and construction
- System selection, project design, construction, and operation of domestic and industrial wastewater treatment facilities
- Discharging treated wastewater into the receiving environment and investigating its effects
- Preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports and monitoring the process
- Risk analysis and evaluation
- Collection, transportation, storage, recycling, and disposal of solid waste
- Disposal of hazardous and harmful wastes
- Air pollution control
- Environmental management and planning
- Protection of soil and groundwater resources against pollution
Scope of the Discipline
Environmental Engineering emerged as a separate field from the Health Engineering discipline within Civil Engineering. The discipline has since matured considerably, evolving from a focus on public health protection toward a broader, system-oriented approach to environmental protection.