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ACEC and
CEIA to collaborate on Indian urban infrastructure.
As noted in last week�s edition of UPDATE, the
American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), US-AEP�s partner for
environmental infrastructure development in Asia, has entered into a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Consulting Engineers Association
of India (CEAI). The result of a continuing dialogue between ACEC and CEIA
that began in 1997, the MOU was signed May 21 in New Delhi by Mr. Arnie
Spiess, president-elect of ACEC, and Mr. N.F. Patel, president of CEAI. The
organizations will collaborate on urban infrastructure projects in India and
promote awareness and use of clean technologies among their members.
US-AEP Country Director for India, Therese
Leasburg, and Technology Representative for New Delhi, K. Balakrishnan,
represented US-AEP at the signing ceremony, which featured presentations by
two ACEC member organizations (Camp Dresser and McKee International, Inc.)
and CEAI member company Holtec Engineers.
2nd
Asia-Pacific Roundtable on Cleaner Production draws 440 attendees.
The 2nd conference of the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on Cleaner Production (APRCP)
was held April 20-23 in Brisbane, Australia. This initiative, supported by
US-AEP through the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, fosters
information exchange and cooperation among practitioners of pollution
prevention (P2) throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Luisa Ejercito
Estrada, first lady of the Philippines, and the Hon. Rod Welford, minister
for environment and heritage of Australia, were among the 440 participants,
representing 42 countries. The participation of seven attendees�from the
Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia�was supported by US-AEP�s Environmental
Exchange Program. Breakout sessions covered topics such as clean production
education, risk and finance, indicators and benchmarks, environmental
management systems, industrial ecology, and life cycle assessment. US-AEP's
Deputy Executive Director Richard Sheppard delivered a keynote address,
during which he commended the APRCP for "having succeeded in establishing a
regional network for cleaner production and eco-efficiency." For more
information on the APRCP, please contact NPPR�s Joe Pringle at tel:
202-466-7272 or e-mail:
joepringle@compuserve.com
[Note: The Environmental Exchange Program is implemented by the Institute
of International Education.]
New on the
website: Indonesia site and summer policy forum schedule.
US-AEP�s Indonesia website is up and running at:
https://www.usaep.org/indonesia/.
The first in a series of country-specific websites, the Indonesia site is
designed specifically to serve people living or working in Indonesia. U.S.
and Indonesian firms, policy makers, and local nongovernmental organizations
will find topics of interest on the site, including US-AEP�s social safety
net and public policy activities, as well as technology transfer programs.
Also recently added to US-AEP�s website: the summer 1999 US-AEP Policy Forum
schedule at
https://www.usaep.org/policy/forum.htm.
US-AEP-supported conference helps ensure sustainable development of
Vietnamese coastal area.
Development in an environmentally sensitive coastal
area east of Hanoi, Vietnam�encompassing the Quang Ninh and Hai Phong
provinces�was the topic of an April 6-8 conference supported by US-AEP. This
region, regarded as an "engine of growth" for Vietnam, is an important
source for coal, steel, and cement mining and home to two ports with
proposals for expansion. However, the area also contains the Ha Long World
Heritage Site and Cat Ba National Park, which themselves are important
ecologically and as tourist destinations.
The three-day conference, held in Hanoi and Ha Long, resulted in
sustainable development recommendations that will foster the much-needed
economic growth while protecting the region�s environmental assets. The
event attracted close to 170 participants, including Vietnamese
representatives from national, provincial, and local governments; donor
agencies; nongovernmental organizations; and the international community.
U.S. Senator John Kerry attended the plenary session in Hanoi, along with
heads of international, national, and local institutions. During this
session, the Ha Long Statement on Regional Comprehensive Development was
presented and discussed, including topics such as partnership building and
social and environmental sustainability. The conference also featured site
visits within the region and presentations by Vietnamese and international
experts on policy and planning, institutional strengthening, infrastructure
investment, and environmental management.
Five of the conference participants were supported by US-AEP�s
Environmental Exchange Program (EEP), and three of them made presentations
at the seminar: Mr. Rene Castro on environmental global markets in Costa
Rica; Ms. Evelyn Estigoy on integrated coastal management in the
Philippines; and Mr. Bertram Wong on integrated master planning for
sustainable development in Indonesia.
The conference was cosponsored by Vietnam�s Ministry of Planning and
Investment, the People�s Committee of Hai Phong Province, the People�s
Committee of Quang Ning Province, and the World Bank, with assistance from
US-AEP, the Canadian International Development Agency, the government of
Japan, and the World Bank Institute.
US-AEP's
CTEM program promotes P2 outreach in India.
US-AEP�s Clean Technology and Environmental Management (CTEM) program
continues to help Asian industrial organizations educate their members about
environmental topics. In early May, CTEM�s grant to the Environmental
Management Center of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (EMC-ICC) facilitated
workshops on waste minimization and pollution prevention in Calcutta and
Bhubaneshwar, India. The Calcutta workshop featured waste minimization case
studies from key Indian institutions such as the All India Institute of
Public Health and Hygeine and U.S. consulting company Ernst and Young. The
presentations highlighted the basic steps involved in beginning a waste
minimization program and demonstrated that minimizing waste can lead to
maximizing profits. Mr. David G. Gardner, professor at Owens Community
College and chair of Industrial Technology Control in Toledo, Ohio, was the
workshop�s key speaker. Recruited by US-AEP�s Environmental Exchange
Program, Mr. Gardner highlighted the important role of low-cost, no-cost P2
approaches in helping industries adopt better environmental practices. Mr.
Subrata Mazumder, CTEM technical manager for India, stressed the need for
better information-sharing among industries so that successful projects can
be replicated. In addition, a video featuring the P2 and waste management
experiences of U.S. companies received high marks from participants. Local
media captured the story and promoted the benefits of proper industrial
environmental management.
In Bhubaneshwar, the workshop was jointly organized by Xavier Institute
of Management�a premier Indian management institution�along with ICC-EMC and
CTEM. Local speakers included representatives from the Orissa State
Pollution Control Board and NICCO Cables (the first ISO 14000-certified unit
in India), who shared methodologies for P2 implementation and highlighted
potential profits. |
