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US-AEP
grant facilitates cleaner electroplating in India.
The Indian nongovernmental organization (NGO) Development Alternatives is
using a US-AEP NGO-Business Environmental Partnership grant to introduce
pollution prevention (P2) practices to the electroplating industry in New
Delhi. The timing for the project is ideal: A recent judgment passed by the
Supreme Court of India is exerting pressure on New Delhi's industries to
shift to cleaner production methods. As a result of a feasibility study
conducted under the grant, Jewel Electroplaters (a nickel-chromium
electroplating unit) has agreed to implement the practices.
The NGO is also working to "green the supply chain" in a cluster of
nickel-chromium electroplaters through large companies such as Maruti and
Purolator that use the services of smaller enterprises--a new concept for
Indian industry. In addition, to help educate the community, Development
Alternatives is involving students in monitoring groundwater samples
affected by pollution.
Another focus area for Development Alternatives is zinc-cyanide
electroplaters. Although the profits resulting from P2 practices are less
dramatic than those realized with nickel-chromium, one entrepreneur in
Ludhiana (Punjab) has agreed to adopt this technology. The NGO-Business
Environmental Partnership is managed by The Asia Foundation.
CSG
technical staff report on recent Asia site visits.
Staff members from the Council of State Governments (CSG), which oversees
US-AEP's
State Environmental
Initiative (SEI) grants program, traveled to Asia March 13-27 to review
progress on SEI projects. Howard Moyes, Deputy Director for Public Affairs,
Research and Information Services, and Karen Marshall, Environmental Policy
Analyst and SEI Project Manager, visited Thailand, the Philippines, and
Taiwan and observed that although the countries are addressing environmental
and economic challenges in different ways, they are grappling with similar
issues. Among their observations are the following:
Many paths to environmental quality: Solutions to Asian environmental
degradation are taking a variety of forms and processes. In addition to
legal remedies, there is substantial opportunity for market incentives,
public education, advocacy, and political reform to address pollution
problems. Political leaders are finding that a well-informed public can
support local environmental cleanup. The academic community can also extend
its technical expertise beyond the laboratory, providing solutions for the
private sector. In other instances, businesses are committing themselves to
environmental management and leading the way to greener processes. Many have
been surprised at the longer-term cost-savings from waste and toxics
reduction.
Strong laws, weak enforcement: Many Asian governments have fairly
comprehensive and stringent environmental laws on the books, but lack
trained personnel to recognize regulatory infringements and recommend
solutions, while field inspection staff are not delegated sufficient
authority to cite violations and enforce penalties. Also, the economic
crisis has cut agency budgets for inspection and enforcement.
Medical waste an emerging problem: As in the United States, medical
facilities are increasing their purchase of single-use products, such as
syringes and tubes, to prevent cross-contamination. However, improper
disposal of these products presents an increased threat of injury and
disease transmission.
Integrating
Asian economic recovery and environmentally sustainable industry.
A July 28-30 forum in Bangkok, Thailand, will enable Asian business,
government, academic, and community leaders to explore the benefits of
incorporating environmental performance into business and development
strategies. This forum--"Economic Recovery and Environmentally Sustainable
Industry in Asia: Compatible Goals?"--is sponsored by the Greening of
Industry Network, US-AEP, and Chulalongkorn University, along with 11 major
co-sponsors, including the Asian Productivity Organization. The event will
be held at Chulalongkorn in honor of the Network's newly established Asian
base there.
On the first day of the forum, the relationship between financial and
environmental performance will be explored through panel sessions and other
activities, while days two and three provide focused workshop sessions for a
limited number of participants. These sessions will be led by Jellinek,
Schwartz & Connolly, Inc. and enable further exploration of topics such as
economic and environmental performance metrics, information disclosure, and
collaborative problem-solving.
Assistance from US-AEP Tech Reps is needed to ensure that this high-level
forum attracts appropriate participants. All Tech Rep offices will soon
receive brochures to distribute to prospective attendees. If you have
questions, please contact Owen Cylke, phone: 202-835-0333 x 117; fax:
202-835-0366; e-mail:
ocylke@usaep.org.
Updated
CTEM Internet Guide now available.
The second edition of US-AEP's Clean Technology and Environmental
Management (CTEM) Guide to the Internet is hot off the presses. Copies of
the guide will be provided to all US-AEP Tech Rep offices within the next
two weeks and are also available by contacting Janet Redden by phone:
202-835-0333 x 100; fax: 202-835-0366; or e-mail:
jredden@usaep.org.
The guide is accessible on the US-AEP Web site at
https://www.usaep.org/resource.htm.
Hail and
farewell.
Greetings to Mary Wong, who joined the Environmental
Exchange Program staff in March as a Program Associate. Mary comes to the
Institute of International Education from the University of Kentucky's
Patterson School of Diplomacy & International Commerce, where she received
an M.A. in International Development, and has studied and worked in various
areas relating to Asian economic and social development. Mary has lived in
China, speaks Mandarin Chinese, and is also fluent in Vietnamese.
Farewell to Kevin Bricknell, who served as Country Director
for the US-AEP/India Office of Technology Cooperation since August 1996.
Kevin led the expansion of US-AEP's presence in India to four regional Tech
Rep offices and hired four top-notch Regional Directors. In addition, he
nurtured US-AEP's relationship with the USAID/India mission in New Delhi,
maximizing the Embassy's efforts to address environmental issues in India.
Kevin's leadership, dedication, and professionalism will be missed, but his
contributions to US-AEP/India will be appreciated for years to come.
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