Position Paper

Committee: ​World Health Organization (WHO)

Topic: ​Water Pollution
Country: ​Panama

The problem that we are addressing today is water pollution. This is an extremely
prevalent topic. Water pollution can be explained in many ways. A great example is that there
are many substances built up in the water. Such as but not limited to agricultural runoff, sediment
(dirt), plastic debris and sewage. Something people today should be aware of is that every day
about 2 million tons of agricultural, sewage, and industrial waste is dumped into the world's
water. As a rough estimate of how much 2 million tons is, it is equivalent to the weight of the
entire human population. Water pollution either comes from a specific confined area or it could
come from a broader or unconfined area. Contained areas of pollution distribution are easier to
keep under control rather than unconfined areas.
Some initiatives that Panama already has in place is the Panama National Environment
Authority (ANAM) which was founded in 1998. It did not properly address the agricultural
runoff problem. The ANAM focused more closely in on the environmental regulations of larger
corporations. It was a great idea but it did not help the bigger problem at hand; which was
making the water toxic. The US has tried a little bit more to help the chemical runoff issue, they
have put the “clean water act” in place. This act directs funds to ​“control nonpoint source
pollution from working farms and ranches.” It is also said that about half a century ago ​you were
able to swim in the Panama Bay, but nowadays if you swim there, there is a high risk of getting
sick. The main reason for this is because raw sewage and industrial waste get dumped into the
bay, which makes the water toxic. In 2013, 840,000 of Panama’s 3.8 million person population
did not have 24-hour access to clean water and 30,000 people relied on a truck to deliver their
water. There is a bright side, the numbers are improving. There is a current estimate that around
93% of Panamanians have access to better/ improved water sources. But despite the numbers,
some rural places have some hurdles to jump over.
Panama thinks that a good resolution to this problem would be reverse osmosis. Reverse
osmosis is a water purification system that is simple and straightforward. This is a good option
because it will help all around water cleanliness. There is more that can be done but as of right
now this is one of the best solutions. Any change especially this one may take a while to get used
to and get put in. But, this to us is one of the best solutions out there for our problem globally.
Speech

Thank you honorable chair,

The country of Panama, feels that the issue of Water Pollution is important to speak about
today because ​Water pollution is becoming increasingly more dangerous. It is getting more
complicated for developing countries to handle this problem as a whole. Water pollution happens
every second; In one day 2 million tons of agricultural, industrial and toxic waste is dumped into
the world's water. This Body should understand that due to the problem, More than 80% of
sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated polluting rivers, lakes and coastal areas.
There is an estimate that the headwater of roughly 40% of Western rivers is contaminated with
toxic discharge from the abandoned mines. As well as more people die every year from unsafe
polluted water than from all forms of violence even including war.
The government of Panama has dealt with the issue of Water Pollution by; enforcing the
privatization of electric and water companies. Panama Government also created Panama’s
National Environment Authority (ANMA) in 1998. Panama’s National assembly created the
Ministry of the Environment mainly to focus on giving rural residents consistent access to clean
water. The country of Panama encourages the committee to; take reverse osmosis into your
consideration as well as keeping up with privatization around the world.
Work Cited

Amadeo, Kimberly. "Panama Canal and Its Impact on the US Economy." ​The Balance​, 4 Mar.

2019, www.thebalance.com/panama-canal-expansion-impact-on-u-s-economy-3306274.

Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

"Environmental Issues in Panama." ​Anywhere.com​, 2019,

www.anywhere.com/panama/travel-guide/environmental-issues. Accessed 2019.

"15 Interesting Facts about Water Pollution That You Should Know." ​Seametrics​, 2018,

www.seametrics.com/blog/water-pollution-facts/. Accessed 10 Apr. 2019.

Greaney, Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, Wren. "Water Quality Is

Impaired by Agricultural Runoff in Panama and the United States." ​Council on

Hemispheric Affairs,​ 25 June 2015,

www.coha.org/water-quality-is-impaired-by-agricultural-runoff-in-panama-and-the-unite

d-states/. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Nathanson, Jerry A. "Water Pollution." ​Encyclopedia Britannica,​

www.britannica.com/science/water-pollution. Accessed 11 Apr. 2019.

"Panama Natural Resources." ​Teak Hardwoods,​ 2019,

www.teakhardwoods.com/natural-resources/. Accessed 2019.