According to the study by the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente), some of the issues are the number of institutions involved and the dispersion of competences in matters such as water administration.

The report indicates that institutions such as the Ministry of Health, the Sanitation Program, the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewage Systems and the Panama Canal Authority have to do with water issues in Panama.

There are also other aspects that affect institutionalism and environmental management such as the procedures to simplify administrative management, corruption that diminishes the credibility of institutions and the need of mechanisms for the effective citizen engagement.

To MiAmbiente, the lack of involvement of the State in these matters can bring about land, forest and biodiversity degradation and harm human health.

Member of the Alliance for Conservation and Development, Susana Serracin, told the press that the Ministry of Environment has striven and allocated resources to devise the diagnose of concerning situations that must be corrected to achieve an optimal environmental management.

According to this environmentalist, despite complaints and evidence presented at courts, international organizations and media outlets, there is contradiction regarding what the State says and what is actually done, which means there is a legal framework that is not complied with.

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