THE people of Panama City are losingtheir battle against pollution. An everincreasing number of automobiles,overburdened roads, lack of housingand an apathetic local populace aremaking a problem with no easy solutions. Studies indicate that some sectors of Panama Bay, which receives thecity's wastes through 21 sewage outlets, have over 200,000 times theacceptable level of pollutants.
The Panamanian health ministry'sinitiatives include bringing all thenational councils together to solve theproblem and a project to clean up thebay (estimated to cost us $500 million).
While experts stress the apparentuselessness of these initiatives withoutaccompanying urban planning measures, Dario Delgado, environmentalhealth representative in the ministry ofhealth, points out that the projectscould be delayed owing to the conditions imposed by funding organisations like the International Development Bank.