NAFTA Handbook for Water Resources Managers and Engineers

This report describes the consequences of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on water resources planning and management in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The NAFTA process may change the administration of state or federal water quality or other environmental regulations. The NAFTA process created three new organizations to resolve border environmental disputes and trade disputes related to the environment. These new institutions will also facilitate construction and rehabilitation of environmental infrastructure. The total volume of environmental infrastructure needs along the U.S.-Mexican border has been estimated by numerous sources to be in the billions of dollars, and the financial commitments appear to be in place. NAFTA will create new opportunities for engineering services in North America by the requirement that Canada, Mexico and the United States each treat professional service providers from the other two countries no less favorably than it treats its own service providers, and certainly on no less favorable terms granted to other nations. Negotiations over transnational engineer licensing under NAFTA are part of a rapidly evolving process which may conclude in 1995. Engineers who are licensed Professional Engineers (PE) in Canada, Mexico, or the United States may be eligible for a temporary license to practice in either of the neighboring countries, provided that education, experience, and other requirements are met.