Efforts of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) mission to improve city management and infrastructure in Ahmedabad, India, were dubbed "a triumph" by the Wall Street Journal in a November 26 front-page story. The article credited Earl Kessler, Director of USAID's Regional Urban Development Office in New Delhi, with developing a successful strategy to sustain the city's economic growth while providing sewer and water services to the city's three milllion-plus residents. Acceptance of Kessler's plan to use private capital to develop the city's infrastructure--in this case, by floating a municipal bond--resulted from hard-won consensus-building among members of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, including Keshav Varma, Municipal Commissioner, and P.U. Asnani, who was then Deputy Municipal Commissioner and has since become US-AEP's Environmental Infrastructure Representative in India. US-AEP has played a supporting role in Ahmedabad's success story. Last March, Varma and other members of the city's Municipal Corporation participated in a week-long, US-AEP Environmental Exchange, during which the delegation studied city management and infrastructure in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Another US-AEP-sponsored exchange is now underway, enabling delegates from Indian cities to meet with U.S. firms including Montgomery Watson Inc., a Pasadena, California, engineering firm which has contracted to manage Ahmedabad's construction of water and sewer projects. The current exchange will position U.S. companies for upcoming World Bank-sponsored hazardous waste management projects in India.

Top officials from the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC) visited Manila, Philippines, last week to officially open their Asia Regional Office. The office is a key component of ACEC's agreement with US-AEP and will enhance the development of viable environmental infrastructure facilities in Asia. In accordance with Filipino custom, a small ceremony was held in which a priest blessed the office in the presence of representatives from ACEC, US-AEP, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Trade and Development Agency, and ACEC member firms. ACEC President James Thomas, Jr., presided over a well-attended reception where he expressed the council's goal to actively assist member firms in pursuing Asian opportunities and partnerships. The reception was attended by Thomas Hubbard, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, in addition to senior staff members from large consulting engineer firms and insurance companies. In related activities, ACEC Regional Director Philip Costas held a meeting with the Consulting Engineers Council of the Philippines and arranged a dinner for visiting ACEC staff and representatives of major ACEC member firms located in Manila.

With the support of US-AEP/Manila, the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) opened a new section in Manila, Philippines, on November 10. Facilitated by US-AEP's Environmental Professional Association Development program, this and other new sections of the association are meant to provide Asian professionals access to technical and professional resources as well as affiliation with a national network. The Manila section's first activity--a Global Environmental Management (GEM) technical session--attracted close to 100 participants from private industries, engineering and consulting firms, and government agencies. The event was hosted at the compound of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and provided a venue for the formal induction of officers and directors. Former A&WMA President Douglas Fox, who played a key role in the formation of the chapter, conducted the induction ceremony and served as a speaker during the technical session; U.S. Commercial Counselor to the Philippines Carmine D'Aloisio witnessed the induction. The event was made possible through the cooperation of the Water Environment Association of the Philippines, DENR, and the Environmental Management Bureau.

The Mindanao Solid Waste Panel Discussion and Fair, held November 18 in Davao City, Philippines, successfully promoted the benefits of solid waste management to local government officials and helped identify potential business opportunities for U.S. firms. The event was attended by 120 participants from local government units across Mindanao as well as U.S. and Philippine environmental firms, agencies, NGOs, and media groups. Through one-on-one meetings, arrangements were made between government officials and U.S. firms to follow up on business opportunities. A distinguished group of speakers participated, including Alma Madrazo, US-AEP/Philippines; Rogelio Uranza, Metro Manila Development Authority; Luis Jacinto, Davao City Environmental and Natural Resources Office; Bob Shelnutt, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Rick Tanzo, Build Operate Transfer (BOT) Center, an agency under the Philippine Department of Finance; and representatives of Vector Engineering, Waste Management International, and Enviro Services, Inc. The event was initiated by Growth with Equity in Mindanao, a U.S. Agency for International Development program.

With a theme of "Sustainability in the 21st Century--The Challenge for Asian Cities," Polmet 97 attracted more than 200 international participants to Hong Kong from November 25-27. USAEP/Hong Kong took part in the conference by conducting the opening ceremony for one of the key events: the launching of a year-long liquid petroleum gas (LPG) test trial for Hong Kong's taxi fleet. The trial, which will involve 30 taxis operating on LPG, will facilitate comparison of emissions from LPG-powered vehicles to those of diesel-powered vehicles, which currently comprise all of the city's taxis, buses, and trucks.

To better coordinate US-AEP Clean Technology Environmental Management (CTEM) programs with important field posts, the CTEM team recently placed field personnel in Thailand, India, and Indonesia. In Thailand, Suzanne Young has joined US-AEP full-time and will spend four months based in Bangkok followed by two months in the U.S. on a rotating basis. Having served US-AEP as an industry expert consultant over the past year, she will manage greening the supplier initiatives, specifically in textiles and electronics. In India, Mr. Mazumder joins CTEM after holding the distinguished post of Deputy Director for the Bureau of India Standards. Mazumder, who will be based in New Delhi, has in-depth experience with industrial programs and ISO and will be responsible for all CTEM programs in India. In Indonesia, CTEM is working to bring on a part-time Technical Manager to focus on outreach and technical issues. The Washington, D.C., office also recently added a new program assistant, Shubha Banskota, who brings 19 years of experience in project management from USAID/Nepal. In addition, Samuel Tumiwa was named Deputy Director of US-AEP's CTEM Program.

As of 12/15, the new coordinates are: U.S. Embassy, The American Center, 24, Kasturba Ghandi Marg, New Delhi 110001; Tel: 91-11-331-6841; Fax: 91-11-372-5352

Farewell to US-AEP Malaysia Tech Rep, Dena Weissbach. Since joining US-AEP last May, Dena was instrumental in efforts such as facilitation of US-AEP's response to the Malaysian haze crisis, active involvement in Environmex/ Watermex '97, and preparation of US-AEP/ Malaysia's 1998 Business Plan. She has returned to the United States to settle in New York with her husband and baby girl.