Practitioners in India Share Innovations in Lighting. Policymakers and lighting practitioners from across India participated in a USAID-supported workshop held on the July 21-22, 2010, in Delhi, India. Participants included senior officials from the Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG), the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), and the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund, Inc (S3IDF), who shared their experiences in microfinance and innovative lighting programs, implemented at both the home and municipal level. Policymakers provided input into the design of a pilot program in India that will use innovative financing mechanisms in order to deliver combined services of both home and municipal lighting. The workshop was supported by USAID and was organized by the ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program and the Energy Conservation and Commercialization Project (ECO-III).  ECO-Asia CDCP works across Asia to improve the quality of energy-efficient lighting technologies and applications.

USAID Supports Mentoring for Clean Energy Entrepreneurs in India. Nearly 90 clean energy stakeholders including project developers, entrepreneurs and consultants participated in a USAID-supported road show held on July 19, 2010, in Bengaluru, India. Participants included representatives from the State Government of Karnataka, Indian Wind Power Association, Solar Energy Society of India, and Electric Lamp and Component Manufacturers' Association. Focusing on the needs of clean energy entrepreneurs in Karnataka, the mentoring workshop provided coaching on the creation of a business plan and communication with the investment community.  The workshop was organized by the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFA), a multilateral, public-private partnership initiated by the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) in cooperation with the Expert Group on Technology Transfer of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). PFAN is managed in Asia by USAID's ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program.

Public-Private Partnership in Vietnam Receives Agricultural Certification. On July 22, 2010, Vietnamese provincial authorities formally recognized local lemongrass producers and the fragrance company Saroma for their GLOBAL Good Agriculture Practice (G.A.P) certification, the first of its kind in Vietnam.  This voluntary certification assures consumers that agricultural products were produced in a manner that decreases the detrimental environmental impacts of farming, reduces the use of chemical fertilizers, and ensures a responsible approach to worker health and safety and animal welfare.  The USAID-funded Asia Regional Biodiversity Program (ARBCP) provided technical assistance and training to Saroma and six farmers in a pilot project on 10 hectares in Lam Dong Province that closely followed the GLOBAL G.A.P standards.

ASEAN Prepares Plan to Sustain Wildlife Enforcement Network. The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) Experts Group Workshop on “Building a Strong and Effective Network for the Future” was held during July 19-20 in Bangkok.  Delegates from all ASEAN Member States and representatives from the ASEAN-WEN Program Coordination Unit and the ASEAN Secretariat discussed ways to strengthen and sustain the ASEAN-WEN at the workshop. The ASEAN-WEN Focal Points agreed on the "ASEAN Cooperation Project Document: Strengthening ASEAN-WEN", which will propose funding for ASEAN-WEN through the ASEAN Secretariat.  With support from USAID, ASEAN-WEN was established by ASEAN member countries in 2005 to increase law enforcement capacity to protect biodiversity from poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Representatives from USAID and the USAID-funded ASEAN-WEN Support Program were joined by representatives from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Environment Development Program (UNDP) in providing input to the workshop.

WaterLinks Partnership Program Expanded in India.  On July 23, 2010, the Indian Water Works Association (IWWA) launched their water operators partnership (WOP) program at a forum in Mumbai, India, based on the principles and methodologies pioneered by WaterLinks.  At the meeting, representatives from USAID Environmental Cooperation-Asia (ECO-Asia) and the International Water Association (IWA) shared the benefits of WOPs and provided examples from elsewhere in Asia to the 40 water operators and 20 IWWA staff in attendance.  Two Indian water operators who have participated in WaterLinks, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and Jamshedpur Utilities & Services Company Ltd, also presented their practical perspective on improving water services through WOPs.  IWWA, with ECO-Asia support, will now conduct a survey to identify priority capacity building needs and to identify potential WOPs in India.  WaterLinks is a joint collaboration between the Asian Development Bank (ADB), IWA, and USAID’s ECO-Asia program.