It’s no secret the engineering industry is going through some of the most challenging times in modern history. From the climate crisis to the population explosion which threatens the limited resources our planet has to offer. But along with these threats, there are opportunities that act as silver linings to every potential problem.
Engineering has a large role to play in just about every aspect of modern life. But along with that crucial role, come difficulties that need to be addressed.
The Gender Issue
The biggest issue that comes as an existential threat to the very soul of engineering has to do with gender diversity. Societies around the world, be it first world countries or developing nations, are grappling with the problem of women shying away from picking up engineering as a major in college.
When it comes time for teenage girls to consider their career, few would consider engineering. As recently as a couple of years ago, women only made up 15 percent of the engineering workforce. By the time they’re ready to enroll in a university, only 16 percent of the students are women. With the alarming shortage of engineers across the board, it’s important for governments as well as the private sector to encourage women to join the industry.
Changing Climate
Climate change is no longer a topic to be discussed in obscure chat rooms. It’s very much the topic of the hour. Even though some individuals deny the very existence of climate change, this is an immediate threat to our planet and future generations.
Experts believe that recent food shortages, as well as the spreading of fires in Australia and California, were exacerbated with climate change. So, it’s up to engineers to help bring the pollution levels under control and find suitable alternatives to fossil-fuel which is blamed for being at the root of the climate crisis. Saving the environment is more than a political decision and engineers need to take the initiative and chart a course to reverse the damage caused by big corporations.
Clean Water and Food for Everyone
While water and food are two separate issues, the fact that they’re the responsibility of engineers to make sure every person on the planet has access to clean water and enough food ties them together in one big problem. Clean water is a critical issue since more people die out of water-related diseases than all the current raging wars combined. Engineers need to take freshwater from countries like Canada where there’s an excess of clean water to other regions of the world like Sub-Saharan African countries which struggle with this problem.
Food is another challenge. Famines caused by droughts or failing crops due to locust infestations are threatening the lives of millions of people across the world. Bioengineering and advances in agricultural technologies offer hope to these starving regions as well as an ever-increasing world population.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is no longer a first world problem. As the world becomes increasingly connected and information passes from one corner of the globe to hundreds of millions of internet users worldwide, it’s important to ensure that all these forms of communications are secure and safe from hackers and intruders.
Cybercrime has been ramping up in recent years with millions of people falling victim to online fraud schemes and scams. But it’s not just the average person who pays the price. About 67 percent of businesses in the United States reported hacking attempts in 2018 alone. While companies and individuals have their role to ensure their devices are secure, engineers have a duty to increase their efforts to make cyber safety a priority in the new decade.
Cybercriminals don’t distinguish between a person making an online purchase and a company storing its sensitive data on the cloud. It seems everyone who uses the internet has a target on their back. And only engineers can put a stop to these rampant crimes and ensure that information and wealth travel safely in cyberspace.
Although these challenges might seem dire, they also open up a lot of opportunities for the engineering industry to excel and pave the way towards a new and brighter future.
