Network of Asian Environmental Agencies Endorse Stronger Enforcement of Environmental Laws.

Environmental agency leaders from 12 Asian nations and the United States affirmed their commitment to principles of environmental compliance and enforcement at the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN) Regional Forum in Beijing on December 13-15, 2007. AECEN serves as a platform for Asian-based environmental-agency enforcement authorities to share experiences and create innovative solutions at the national and regional levels, and is funded by USAID and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The theme of the Beijing forum was public participation in environmental compliance and enforcement in Asia, and speakers included Zhang Lijun, the Vice Minister of China’s State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), and Granta Y. Nakayama, the Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The keynote address was delivered by Professor Wang Canfa of the China University of Political Science and Law and Director of the Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims. In addition to USAID and ADB, SEPA, U.S. EPA, American Bar Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Vermont Law School supported the meeting.

Nepal Joins Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network.

The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology of Nepal has joined the USAID-funded Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN), which is supported by ECO-Asia. The Ministry assigned the Joint Secretary of the Law and Convention Division to serve as their representative to AECEN. Together with the World Bank, AECEN will cooperate with Nepal to develop a pilot initiative that addresses priority compliance and enforcement challenges. Established in 2005, AECEN works to promote improved compliance with environmental legal requirements in Asia through regional exchange of innovative policies and practices.

Philippines Launches Website to Promote Environmental Compliance for Slaughterhouses.

Slaughterhouse operators in the Philippines who once lagged behind other sectors in complying with pollution control measures now have a new website to share ideas and access updated information to ensure their operations meet wastewater discharge standards. The website is part of a project to establish compliance assistance centers (CAC) in Asia which ECO-Asia is supporting through the Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN). Launched on October 15, 2007, the website, http://www.slaughterhousecac-phil.org, kicks off a systematic compliance assistance program which is a joint initiative between the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) of the Philippines. Other compliance promotion efforts include orientation on the CAC, training and exposure of industry members to relevant environmental policies, and presentation of options in reducing pollution loading into the Laguna bay.

ASEAN-WEN Featured on the Discovery Channel.

ECO-Asia’s ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) and associated task forces are featured in "Crime Scene Wild,” a new six-part series on Discovery Channel TV. The first episode aired on October 1, 2007, throughout Europe, parts of Africa, and in the Middle East, and will continue broadcasting for the next five weeks on Monday evenings. Steve Galster, Chief of Party for the ASEAN-WEN Support Program, is the host of the series, and takes the estimated 150 million viewers around the globe to team up with local law enforcement agencies and conservation groups to track down major wildlife criminals. Countries featured in the series include: United States, United Kingdom, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Taiwan, India, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Kyrgyzstan. "Crime Scene Wild" focuses on the illegal trade in elephant ivory, bush meat, big cats, great apes, Tibetan antelope, and sharks. The show highlights the need for better cross-border law enforcement cooperation across the globe in order to tackle what has become one of the world's largest black market crimes. The Discovery series will now run in Asia for six weeks, starting on February 18, 2008, which will reach another 100 million plus viewers.

Thailand’s Wildlife Enforcement Network Task Force Cracks Down on Illegal Timber Traffickers.

With habitat loss being one of the major threats to wildlife, the Thai ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) Task Force is not only targeting wildlife traffickers, but also has illegal loggers and timber traffickers in its sights. The Task Force is now investigating a major case, while also requesting CITES for help. On October 6, 2007, the Thai Nature Crime Police, working with the Central Investigation Bureau, raided a warehouse outside Bangkok and seized over 7,000 pieces of rosewood timber, worth an estimated $10 million. The Nature Crime Police have received USAID-sponsored investigations training by the ASEAN-WEN Support Program. This unit is also taking the lead as a law enforcement focal point for Thailand's national ASEAN-WEN Task Force. Following this seizure this week, the other member of Thailand's Task Force, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, announced it will request CITES to place tighter restrictions on the international trade in rosewood. Police believe the valuable rosewood timber was cut from forest in northeastern Thailand and destined for export to China. The raid followed police interrogation of suspects arrested in another rosewood case earlier this month. Generally found in dry, evergreen areas, rosewood is cut from the forest to supply demand for the essential oil and furniture industries. Thailand prohibits logging in its protected areas and in the export of rosewood.

Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand Participate in U.S. Study Tour on Watershed Services.

ECO-Asia’s Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP) and the US Forest Service (USFS) held a Watershed Payment for Environmental Services (PES) study tour for seven participants from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand in Honolulu, Hawaii; Portland, Oregon; and NewYork City. Participants learned how to value economic demand for increasingly scarce watershed services and mobilize public support for securing them with tangible economic incentives. Interagency cooperation and various forms of public-private partnerships and legislative support for private sector involvement in service delivery were strongly emphasized. The ARBCP is working with the five Vietnamese study tour participants to implement lessons learned to mobilize and convert private sector demand for these services, and to design PES mechanisms with the water utilities, hydropower, and industrial development sectors in the Dong Nai River Basin. The ARBCP and the USFS will provide on-going training to establish the participatory and scientific basis for further development of this market-based approach to natural resource conservation. Development of field-based watershed PES mechanisms and the science-based monitoring approach learned on the study tour will provide the basis for the program’s efforts to help the Vietnamese government develop supporting legislation and local level, government, and private sector capacity building needed to transfer lessons learned. Partners in Cambodia will consolidate lessons learned to educate the public and build support for applying the Vietnamese model to local conditions with further ARBCP and USFS support.

Payments for Forest-based Environmental Services to be Applied in Vietnam.

In consultation with several ministries, the Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will test a management mechanism for generating revenues and mobilizing civil society to provide forest environmental services. MARD will complete the payment for environmental services (PES) mechanism design and begin implementation of the program on a trial basis in Central Highland Lam Dong province with support from USAID’s Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP). At an ARBCP-sponsored seminar on building policies on forest environmental services on October 2, 2007, in Ha Noi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hua Duc Nhi said organizations and individuals who use water that has its source in the forest will have to pay the fee. These include hydro-electricity plants, irrigation projects, safe water supply establishments, and industrial establishments. After a two-year trial run, the Prime Minister will consider application of the fee across the nation. This decision was printed widely in the Vietnamese news media. The payment mechanisms will ensure these downstream users have sustained access to the watershed services needed to sustain their growth. The ARBCP continues to support MARD and the Lam Dong Province pilot effort to model PES watershed conservation values, develop market-based incentives for private sector support, identify buyers and sellers, clarify services and actions taken to provide them, negotiate fees, and develop low-cost monitoring approaches and supporting legal mechanisms.

Bamboo Products Provide Sustainable Livelihoods for Communities in Vietnam.

With USAID assistance, forestdependent communities in Vietnam are producing bamboo incense sticks using new technologies that improve income while reducing the impact on forest resources. Household bamboo stick making is a vital part of the livelihoods of hundreds of poor families in the area surrounding the Cat Tien National Park and unmanaged exploitation of natural bamboo is a major cause of forest degradation and depletion. Bamboo's environmental benefits are numerous: it matures in three years, regenerates without having to be replanted, and doesn't need pesticides or fertilizers. Usage of bamboo for timber, paper and other products helps reduce consumption of slower regenerating wood and therefore, reduce deforestation. Through new technologies and market access provided by the Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP), communities are able to increase their revenue, while using only half of the amount of bamboo from the forest.

Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade Program Supports Landmark EU-China Conference on Forest Law Enforcement and Governance.

Outlook for Asia’s Forests is Full of Challenges.

Confidence in Quality: Eliminating Shoddy CFL Products Within ASEAN Countries.

Consumer confidence in energy efficient lighting could be severely undermined unless action is taken to eliminate shoddy products from Asian markets, according to lighting experts and policy makers who met in Bangkok from October 25 to 26, 2007. Representatives from Asian governments and lighting manufacturers learned about regional and international compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) initiatives and shared best practices for testing CFLs, increasing public awareness, and phasing-out old fashioned, energy-wasting lights. Participants also formulated policy recommendations to eliminate shoddy CFLs from the markets of ASEAN countries. A new regional analysis was also published during the meeting, which provided additional evidence to support the dire warnings of the expert participants. Asian consumers have a 50 percent chance of buying sub-standard CFLs, according to the authors of Confidence in Quality: Harmonization of CFLs to Help Asia Address Climate Change. Prepared by ECO-Asia’s Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP), the report recommends that a viable, regional quality-control scheme for CFLs be developed in the next 12 to 18 months. If no action is taken, the report warns that climate change mitigation efforts, which involve replacing old-fashioned light bulbs with energy efficient lights, could lead to “a large-scale policy failure.” The two-day meeting was organized by CDCP and co-sponsored by the United States Department of State and the ASEAN Centre for Energy. For a copy of the report, email communications@cleanenergyasia.net.

USAID Signs Sponsorship Agreement with APEC Energy Working Group.

USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia has signed a sponsorship agreement with the APEC Energy Working Group that will strengthen an important regional platform for energy efficiency in Asia. Under the agreement, ECO-Asia’s Clean Development and Climate Program (CDCP) will provide updated information on energy-efficiency standards and guidelines for posting in the APEC Energy Standards Information System (APEC-ESIS, www.apec-esis.org). APEC ESIS is a widely used web-based database that covers standards for energy-using appliances and equipment. It is continuously updated by contributing economies and now covers more than 50 economies worldwide. During 2008, the CDCP team will provide updates on technical standards and specifications being used for energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and also initiate a content-sharing agreement between the APEC ESIS site and CDCP’s clean energy knowledge portal (www.cleanenergyasia.net), which will be launched in early 2008.

Designing a Cleaner Future for Coal.

Technical experts from ten countries met in Vietnam on October 16 and 17, 2007 to examine the most effective ways to mitigate climate change by improving the efficiency of coal power plants. Exploring state-of-the-art technologies, 64 workshop participants examined plant design, coal quality, and materials. During the workshop a new report was also released describing how efforts to increase the efficiency of coal-fired plants could help slash one billion metric tons of projected carbon dioxide emissions every year by 2035. According to this regional analysis, prepared by the ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program, coal currently supplies nearly half of the primary energy in developing Asian countries and its continued use is vital to these countries’ current and future economic growth. With coal use rising sharply, it is essential to take viable and cost-effective steps to increase the efficiency of coal combustion and reduce the local and greenhouse gas pollutants associated with burning coal. The report reviews the present and proposed use of cleaner coal technologies in the Asian region, identifies the barriers impeding the deployment of these technologies, and recommends initiatives to address these barriers. After the two-day workshop, participants learned more about operational issues while attending a study tour to model power plants in Japan on October 18, 2007.The workshop and study tour were co-sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, USAID, and Electricity Vietnam. JPower Ltd. and Chubu Electric organized study tours to their power plants in Japan. To request a copy of the report, email communications@cleanenergyasia.net.

Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Program Turns Over Community Learning Center to Local Community.

On September 20, 2007, the Kamphuan Tambon Administration Office in Ranong, Thailand hosted a ceremony at the Kamphuan Community Learning Center to bid a warm farewell to the field staff of the ECO-Asia Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods (SCL) Program. The ceremony was attended by the Ranong Province governor representative, local community members and community leaders. Following 30 months of working in the area, the program is reducing its presence in Kamphuan because the community has in large part recovered from the 2004 tsunami. The program was successful in being able to assist the populace to “build back better” and the community is now cleaner, more economically diversified and resilient than it was pre-tsunami. As part of the ceremony, the SCL Program officially transferred ownership of the newly constructed Kamphuan Community Learning Center and a small office building to local officials. After the ceremony, members of the community planted 80 trees on the Learning Center Grounds to celebrate the formulation of the Kamphuan Community Learning Center Foundation. This being the holy month of Ramadan, members of the community broke their daily fast with a dinner held at the Center followed by a prayer at the Tsunami Museum of the learning center. The newly formed Kamphuan Community Learning Center Foundation will continue to provide educational programs at the center on such topics as livelihoods improvement, computer skills, English language, Communitybased Disaster Management, and environmental education.

Thailand Knowledge Center Project Brings Computer Training Courses to the Kamphuan Learning Center.

On September 24-28, 2007, the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology (MICT) of Thailand and the ECO-Asia Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Program partnered to provide five days of training on basic computer skills and Internet usage for members of the Kamphuan community in Ranong province, Thailand. Fifteen members of the local community convened at the computer lab at the Kamphuan Community Learning Center to receive the Microsoft Standard training course that included modules on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Internet use. Participants included local entrepreneurs, government officers, teachers, and members of the revolving funds group. This effort is part of the Royal Thai Ministry of Information and Communication Technology’s (MICT) goal of establishing a nationwide network of Information, Communication, Technology (ICT) centers that help rural communities to increase their ability in using computers by making it applicable to their daily lives. The USAID-constructed Kamphuan Community Learning Center is being chosen to be part of this national network of ICT centers that are known as, “The Thailand Knowledge Center.” For more information on the Thailand Knowledge Center Project, please go to http://www.tkc.go.th.

Thailand Shares Its Proficiency in Horticulture with Participants from Tsunami-Affected Areas During USAID Study Tour.

On October 14-20, 2007, the ECO-Asia Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods (SCL) Program sponsored a study tour to demonstrate and share Thailand’s expertise in horticulture, agriculture and postharvest processing techniques. Participants came from tsunami-affected areas in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. With the help of the Horticulture Research Institute (HRI) at Kasetsart University, the nine participants were exposed to a variety of lecture and field-based exhibits of effective growing and post harvesting value-added techniques for fruits and vegetables. On the last day of the tour, each of the participants created a proposal request outlining how they intend to use what they have learned during the tour. USAID provides small grants to support their efforts to share these new techniques in their home countries. The study tour is one of the SCL Program’s ongoing efforts to encourage regional exchange of good practices and lessons learned post-tsunami.

King Prajadhipok’s Institute and USAID’s Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Program Team Up to Provide Leadership Training for Local Community Leaders in Thailand.

The Office of Peace and Governance at King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI) in Thailand is an academic institution committed to promoting democracy for sustainable peace. In keeping with KPI’s conviction that peace-building is the path to solving problems, a two-day workshop on “Leadership, Conflict and Conflict Resolution training for Tambon Administration and Village Leaders” was conducted on October 31- November 1, 2007, in Ranong, Thailand. Over 35 religious and village leaders, educational administrators and members of the Tambon Authority Office participated in the workshop to learn more about leadership and conflict management techniques and the application of those techniques in enhancing a community’s ability to effectively manage civic functions. The opportunity to support the KPI training program is consistent with one of the Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods Program’s focal elements: To assist in the building of the capacity of local government to self-manage by fostering regional education and the sharing of lessons learned.

Scientists Gain New Understanding of Seismic Risks and Revise Hazard Maps for Southeast Asia.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has revised seismic hazard maps for Southeast Asia. This new understanding of seismic risk in the region will assist engineers in designing buildings and developing building codes to resist strong ground shaking, which will reduce structural damage and societal losses from large earthquakes in the future. The maps are the result of collaboration between USGS and local scientists and engineers in the Indian Ocean Region to develop and apply new predictive seismic models and to incorporate new ground-motion prediction equations. The maps presented in the report differ significantly from many pre-existing maps, so open forums were held throughout 2006 and 2007 to encourage extensive discussions with local experts. Building code officials have been receptive to these discussions and are now considering updating the codes in Thailand and Indonesia to incorporate this information. USGS implemented the Southeast Asia Seismic Hazard Project under the ECO-Asia US Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program to strengthen technical expertise on assessing seismic risks and developing seismic hazard maps.

Disaster Managers in Indonesia Strengthen Emergency Response Planning.

Over the past two years, the Indonesian government has increasingly adopted the Incident Command System (ICS), a system for managing the flow of information and resources across multiple agencies involved in disaster response. Indonesia’s National Coordination Board for Disaster Management (BAKORNAS) has expanded its efforts to implement ICS by assigning Incident Commanders in its provincial and district units and including ICS in the new Disaster Management Law. The Ministry of Forestry, the Indonesian Red Cross Society, and the Department of Justice have also committed to building capacity for ICS. The Department of Justice established a train-the-trainer program covering all major island groups, beginning with Sumatra. In support of these efforts, the U.S. Forest Service, under the ECO-Asia U.S. Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System Program, provided training from October 31 to November 9, 2007, to strengthen the planning processes for emergency response. Officials from the police, military, and the disaster management, health, social welfare, and forestry sectors participated. The course included tools for managing resources, staff, and information in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

Regional Partners Define Priorities for Further Development and Sustainability of Tsunami Warning System.

The Governments of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives, and India joined United Nations and U.S. Government officials in a regional forum to define priorities for future development and sustainability of the regional Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS). The region has made impressive progress on the regional system with significant contributions from the U.S., as reported through an UN-led assessment of the response to the 8.4 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that occurred on September 12, 2007. According to that assessment, installation or upgrades to seismic and sea-level monitoring stations have greatly enhanced hazard detection, disaster management institutions and coordination systems are stronger, warnings are more effectively disseminated, and communities are better prepared to respond to tsunami warnings. To ensure the sustainability of warning systems and the preparedness of coastal communities, government partners committed to maintaining equipment and continue building national and local capacities. Similarly, many of the tools and methods introduced through the US IOTWS Program are being incorporated into ongoing capacity building activities of national and regional organizations such as the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center and the Asian Institute of Technology. The five U.S. government agencies participating in the US IOTWS Program – National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Geological Survey (USGS), US Forest Service (USFS), and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) – will continue to provide technical support to partners on selected activities in working towards the end-to-end system.

Asian and U.S. Universities Formalize Agreement for New International Tsunami Training Institute.

On Friday, December 21, the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and University of Washington (UW) in Seattle made official their partnership to establish the first International Tsunami Training Institute (ITTI) through a signing ceremony at AIT near Bangkok. This agreement serves as the culmination of efforts by USAID and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a permanent, sustainable training platform in support of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (IOTWS) and tsunami warning systems in other regions around the world. Started under the USAID-funded US IOTWS Program, the ITTI will provide certificate training to practitioners working across the entire “end-to-end” of tsunami warning systems in their respective countries. The next certificate training will be held jointly by the two university partners at AIT campus in March 2008.