Environmental engineers are involved in managing and reducing waste and minimising pollution in order to protect, restore and preserve the planet.

As an environmental engineer, you will design technologies and implement processes and systems to prevent and control a range of environmental risks, and also to restore and reverse environmental damage.

You will use your background in science and engineering to provide a healthy environment for the world's population by disposing of waste, providing safe drinking water, controlling environmental hazards, improving recycling and decreasing soil, water and air pollution.

You will be concerned with issues such as climate change, drought, population growth, urbanisation, pollution, deforestation and the energy crisis. Your work may cover specific areas, such as:

• disposal of waste products such as water and plastics, particularly high-volume industrial waste
• environmental compliance - ensuring minimal environmental impact from spills or emissions
• flood risk and drainage
• infrastructure and development
• management of pollutants that can harm the natural environment
• recovery and cleansing of land which has been damaged, for example by mining, landfill or farming (site remediation)
• water supply and sanitation