USAID RDM/A Regional Environment Office Weekly Report Week Ending March 7, 2008

USAID Initiates Water Utility “Twinning” between Thailand and Singapore
The USAID ECO-Asia program facilitated a utility-to-utility “twinning” arrangement between the Provincial Waterworks Authority of Thailand (PWA) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) of Singapore to assist PWA in improving its water treatment operations and water quality management.  Through this partnership, PUB will provide technical assistance and share best practices for PWA to optimize treatment, adopt innovative treatment technologies and develop water safety plans for water quality monitoring.  PWA will adapt practical solutions from the PUB linkage to enhance water supply services throughout its network of 228 waterworks throughout Thailand.  ECO-Asia will work with the Southeast Asian Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) to disseminate and replicate this experience throughout Southeast Asia.

Chinese Officials Visit U.S. to Share Ideas on Illegal Logging and Trade in Forest Products
Senior Officials from the Chinese State Forest Administration, Ministry of Commerce, and Customs Agency visited the U.S. from February 25 - March 6, 2008 to discuss forest trade issues and efforts to combat illegal logging.  The officials toured U.S. ports and manufacturing and retail outlets in Washington State, and exchanged information with U.S. private sector operators involved in the Chinese forest products trade.  The officials also visited the Olympia National Forest and The Nature Conservancy's Ellsworth Creek Preserve to complete their field trip to Washington State.  The Chinese officials next met for three days in Washington DC with NGO's, congressional aides, and various U.S. government officials concerned with illegal logging and the trade in forest products.  The discussions deepened the understanding of forest trade issues for all participants and will prove useful both in the context of negotiations between China and the U.S. on these issues under the Strategic Economic Dialog, and in future cooperation to promote legal and sustainable forest management and trade in the region.  The trip was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) as part of TNC's matching contribution to the USAID-funded Responsible Forest and Trade (RAFT) Project.

USAID-Supported Working Group to Set Economic Development Roadmap for Biodiversity Conservation in Vietnam
A provincial government in Vietnam plans to establish a working group to work with the USAID-funded Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP) to create a provincial conservation and development plan.  Economic incentives will be generated to conserve high value biodiversity areas. Lam Dong Province will incorporate the plan into provincial-level socioeconomic development plans, and will play a central role in integrating Payments for Environmental Services (PES) and a range of other sustainable financing options.  ARBCP and the Government of Vietnam are piloting the plan under the national pilot PES policy.

USAID to Sponsor Asia Clean Energy Forum 2008 on Financing Solutions
More than 400 policy makers and clean energy experts will meet at the Asia Clean Energy Forum in Manila, Philippines, from June 3 - 5, 2008 to discuss how financing efforts can slow climate change and enhance energy security.  Now in its third year, the Forum has grown into one of Asia’s largest events for exchanging experiences and forging new partnerships to respond to clean energy and climate change challenges.  Sponsors of this year’s forum include the Asian Development Bank (ADB), USAID, and the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate (APP).
Information: forum@cleanenergyasia.net.   Registration: http://www.adb.org/Documents/Events/2008/ACEF/default.asp