Recent events in India and Indonesia have prompted review of US-AEP projects underway there. As reported elsewhere, all current U.S. foreign assistance to India is under review, and no new US-AEP activities in or for India will be undertaken without prior written approval from the US-AEP Secretariat. Travel to Indonesia is strongly discouraged by the U.S. Department of State, which has ordered the departure of all dependents of U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulate General staff, as well as all staff who hold non-emergency positions. More specifics on the impact to US-AEP activities will be reported in subsequent issues of UPDATE.

On April 21, officials from Korean government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the environmental industry gathered to commemorate Earth Day. A special part of the celebration served to recognize the importance of a recently published environmental essay collection authored by Chi-Sun Lee, US-AEP Technology Representative in Korea. Stephen W. Bosworth, American Ambassador to Korea, set the stage with a speech emphasizing the importance of environmental protection and the need for the United States and Korea to work closely on the issue of climate change. Mr. Lee then discussed his hope that Korean businesses, government, and procurement officials�as well as NGOs and the general public�will use his book to better understand U.S. technologies that could be of service in addressing the country�s environmental problems. Five hundred copies of the book have already been distributed, and it is expected that several hundred more will be requested at the upcoming environmental exhibition in Korea, ENVEX '98.

Through US-AEP�s Overseas Program Fund, managed by the National Association of State Development Agencies, more than 180 Asians will attend U.S. environmental conferences this June. This experience will enable participants to learn about U.S. environmental technologies and meet suppliers that may be able to meet their countries� specific needs. Approximately 80 delegates�from countries including Thailand, Korea, and the Philippines�will take part in Waste Expo �98 in Chicago, Illinois, June 8-12. As the delegation�s sponsor, the World Trade Center Chicago is arranging activities such as one-on-one meetings with U.S. companies, visits to waste treatment facilities, receptions, and other events. The delegates will later visit U.S companies in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In mid-June, the OPF will enable more than 100 Asians to participate in the Air & Waste Management Association�s (A&WMA) Meeting and Exhibition in San Diego, California. During the June 14-19 conference, delegation sponsor A&WMA will arrange activities for the attendees, including site visits to U.S. companies in Portland, Seattle, and Denver, Colorado.

Through a March 20-April 10 fellowship funded by US-AEP�s Environmental Exchange Program (EEP), a private India-United States partnership has moved closer to its goal of establishing a joint venture. The fellowship enabled two representatives of Swaraj Steel and Engineering Works Limited�a leading manufacturer of industrial equipment based in Calcutta�to work with Solar Detox Corporation (Albuquerque, New Mexico) on a business plan for the joint venture, as well as a prototype wastewater treatment technology using oxidation reduction. The team hopes to sign the joint venture agreement in time to present the prototype at an international trade fair in New Delhi this November. Swaraj Steel�s parent company plans to use the oxidation reduction technology in its recently purchased pulp and paper mill, which will enable the facility to exceed the Indian government�s environmental standards.

With an eye to re-centering urban issues within US-AEP�s framework and forging collaborative links among U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs, US-AEP organized a May 7-9 workshop in Bangkok to study "Urbanization and the Clean Revolution." Participants included the USAID Global Bureau's Office of Urban Activities; representatives of USAID's Regional Urban Development Offices (RUDO) from India and Indonesia; US-AEP staff members from Washington, D.C., and US-AEP environmental infrastructure representatives from throughout the region; as well as members of the US-AEP Secretariat. Peter Kimm and Viviann Gary represented the major institutional partners from USAID Washington. Staff members of the American Consulting Engineers Council, a US-AEP partner, were also in attendance.

According to Owen Cylke of The Policy Group at US-AEP, "The workshop was a success on all accounts." Through exploration of specific opportunities for USAID and US-AEP, the participants fashioned a three-pronged strategic framework around the concept of "the urban enterprise":

• developing the financial structure necessary to support the expansion of urban environmental infrastructure,
• fostering effective technology cooperation between Asian cities and investors and the United States, and
• achieving dynamic community participation.

Look for more details on proceedings and findings in future UPDATE issues.

CTEM program promotes EMS use among Asian study tour participants.