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EEP course
furthers US-AEP's environmental infrastructure efforts in Asia.
US-AEP's Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) implemented an
environmental infrastructure privatization course in the Philippines, Korea,
and Thailand during October and November. The three-day seminar provided an
overview of public-private partnerships; legal, institutional, and financial
issues; and relevant case histories from modernizing and advanced economies.
Customized sessions were held at the request of each country: water supply
in the Philippines, wastewater in Thailand, and, in Korea, a comprehensive
overview of the privatization process.
At each location, the participants included senior-level municipal
officials, policy makers and private sector financial representatives, as
well as a large number of representatives from U.S. engineering firms. In
the Philippines and Thailand, the American Consulting Engineering Council (ACEC)--US-AEP's
partner for environmental infrastructure--was represented by Asia Regional
Director Ben Martin.
The Philippines course, cosponsored by Local Water Utility Administration
(LWUA), attracted more than 50 participants; deputy chairman of LWUA, Mr.
Landingan, gave a keynote speech. In Thailand, where the Kenan Institute
acted as the local cosponsor, 92 participants attended the seminar,
including one from Sri Lanka. The keynote address was delivered by Thai
Deputy Prime Minister Suwit Khunkitti, demonstrating his strong support of
privatization. U.S. Ambassador William H. Itoh presided over the opening
ceremony, while Jeremy Hagger of the US-AEP Secretariat delivered a keynote
speech. One workshop component--the Thai Environmental Infrastructure
Privatization Roundtable--was attended by more than 15 U.S. engineering
firms working in Thailand.
The Korea seminar attracted the largest number of participants--over 200,
including one from Mongolia. Organized by US-AEP's Office of Technology
Cooperation in Korea, the workshop was cosponsored by the Korean Ministry of
Environment and featured site visits to two environmental plants privatized
in 1997, the Kuri City sewage sludge incineration plant and Yangpyung City's
Kangha/Sujong wastewater treatment plant. In addition, participants visited
a research facility, the Han River Water Quality Analysis Center. The site
tours provided an excellent opportunity for attendees to learn about the
current status and capabilities of Korean environmental companies involved
in privatization, and to initiate relationships with companies that have
undertaken public-private projects.
The Institute of International Education (IIE), which implements EEP,
worked closely on this project with the US-AEP field offices, the Regional
Urban Development Office, and other organizations. In addition, the
Institute for Public-Private Partnerships (IP3) from Washington, D.C., a
firm specializing in infrastructure privatization, assisted in organizing
and delivering presentations.
US-AEP/Singapore and AmCham highlight opportunities for U.S.firms.
Beginning in April 1999, the Singapore government will privatize the
collection of refuse. To highlight resulting opportunities for U.S. firms,
US-AEP Technology Representative in Singapore, Chan Yiu Kei, helped organize
a November 12 informational briefing for American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
member firms in Singapore. US-AEP/Singapore arranged for an official from
the Waste Minimization Unit of Singapore's Environment Ministry to present
the latest news on the privatization effort, such as reuse, recovery, and
recycling methods being adopted. Also outlined were opportunities for U.S.
firms to provide consultancy service to the government.
In addition, AmCham's Environmental Committee--which serves as the
Steering Committee for US-AEP/Singapore--recently refocused its strategy.
Contributing to these efforts, Chan Yiu Kei suggested a new name that more
accurately portrays the committee's work: the Environmental Safety & Health
(ESH) Committee. The new name has been approved by the AmCham Board of
Governors. The ESH Committee currently has about 30 members from various
industrial sectors and has worked with US-AEP/Singapore for the past five
years.
Thai
scholar builds on knowledge of sanitary landfills.
Dr. Suporn Koottatep, associate professor in Chiang
Mai University's Department of Civil Engineering, presented a paper at the
14th International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Suporn, attending the November conference
through US-AEP's Environmental Exchange Program, met with a number of U.S.
companies working in solid waste management; for example, the president of
Larsen Engineers provided a tour of a municipal landfill and a privately
operated solid waste recycling facility in Rochester, New York. Upon his
return, Dr. Suporn will use the knowledge gained and new U.S. contacts to
implement appropriate technologies in projects in Chiang Mai Municipality,
Lamphoon Municipality, Sakhampang Sanitary District, and Mae Lao Sanitary
District--all of which are constructing sanitary landfills and planning a
recycling center. (Note: The Environmental Exchange Program is implemented
by the Institute of International Education.) |
