|
Philippines
and Thailand receive major roles with regional cleaner production
roundtable.
The Asia Pacific Roundtable for Cleaner Production�s (APRCP) Interim
Board has selected host organizations for its 3rd regional conference: the
Philippines Office of the First Lady and the Philippine Pollution Prevention
Roundtable (P3R). P3R was formed in June 1997 with assistance from US-AEP
and the United States� National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR).
US-AEP and NPPR will continue to support these and other roundtable
organizations in Asia.
In another recent decision, the Interim Board selected the Thailand
Environment Institute (TEI) to host the APRCP Secretariat. The decision was
made after careful review of impressive proposals from several countries.
Contact information for the Secretariat is as follows: TEI/APRCP
Secretariat, 59/27, Soi Sampobnarunit, Sukumvit 62, Prakanong, Bangkok
10260, Thailand. Tel: 662-741-63-50 ext. 200. Fax: 662-741-63-61. E-mail:
mandar@tei.or.th.
New
Mexico-India partnership continues to flourish.
A 1996 US-AEP State Environmental Initiative grant launched a long and
successful partnership between the states of New Mexico, USA, and Madhya
Pradesh in central India Most recently, two of the American partners�the
University of New Mexico (UNM) and the Waste-Management Education Research
Consortium (WERC)�hosted a delegation of groundwater specialists from the
Central Ground Water Board of India.
The five-person delegation, led by Dr. S.K. Sharma of India�s Ministry of
Water Resources, visited New Mexico July 21 during an Environmental Exchange
Program study tour of several U.S. locations. In Albuquerque, delegates
learned about groundwater technologies investigated by or used by WERC and
other groups in New Mexico.
Dr. Tim J. Ward of UNM, one of the SEI project leaders, stated that "WERC
is pleased to continue its association with US-AEP, the Institute of
International Education [organizer of the study tour], and agencies and
universities in India." [Note: US-AEP�s State Environmental Initiative is
administered by the Council of State Governments.]
News from
Vietnam.
Tentative trade pact okayed. On July
25, the United States and Vietnam announced they have reached a tentative
trade agreement. The deal, which comes after three years of wrangling, still
requires approval by the U.S. Congress and Vietnam�s National Assembly. It
is considered the last major step in normalizing relations following the
Vietnam War that ended more than 24 years ago. The pact also could pave the
way for Vietnam, one of the world�s poorest nations, to join the World Trade
Organization. Following approval, the deal should significantly improve
trade between the two countries.
Vietnam�s environmental issues take center
stage in September. Vietnam�s Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment is planning VIETenEXPO �99, an international
exhibition and conference on environment and sustainable development. The
event will be held September 20�25 in Hanoi, and U.S. firms are encouraged
to participate. Among the topics of particular interest are waste
management, water conservation and treatment, protection of air quality,
environmental monitoring, industrial pollution control, and environmental
management.
A second event, the ASEAN Environmental Forum, will be held
in conjunction with VIETenEXPO. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
forum will bring together governments, industries, and people of the nine
ASEAN nations in an effort to advance sustainable economic development.
Planned activities include technical workshops and seminars, through which
environmental issues of mutual concern will be explored.
For more information on these events, contact David Wagner, Director of
US-AEP�s Office of Technology Cooperation in Hanoi. He can be reached at
011-84-4-826-7332 (tel); 011-84-4-826-7454 (fax); or via e-mail at
dwagner@usaep.org.
Sales and
business partnerships confirmed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and India.
US-AEP�s Operations Group recently confirmed a
variety of US-AEP-assisted transactions. In Taiwan, Kuei-Cheng
Metal Co. of Taiwan City purchased a crusher from Sierra International
Machinery of Bakersfield, California. US-AEP�s Office of Technology
Cooperation in Taiwan reports that the sale was facilitated by an
Environmental Exchange Program activity, which enabled a Kuei-Cheng Metal
representative to visit prospective business partners in the United States.
In Hong Kong, Chevalier (Envirotech) Ltd. of Kowloon Bay
became an agent-distributor for Irvine, California�s Babcock Water
Engineering. This transaction was prompted by Chevalier�s participation in
the WEFTEC �97 conference in the United States, where representatives of
both companies were introduced. And in India, GEA Energy
System Ltd. of Chennai signed a joint venture agreement with Viatech
Recovery Systems of Hastings, Michigan.
Filipino
delegation studies solid waste options in NYC and Ohio.
US-AEP continues to help the Philippines identify solutions to its solid
waste problems. For example, several Filipino decision-makers participated
in a week-long US-AEP study tour focusing on municipal solid waste
transportation techniques, as well as landfill design and construction.
Improving solid waste management is one of the priorities of President
Estrada�s administration, and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
is in the process of evaluating plans.
Held June 26�July 3 by the Environmental Exchange Program, this event
involved representatives from Dizon Silver Mining Company of the
Philippines, MMDA, Philippine Department of Environment and Natural
Resources, and the Office of the President. The delegation visited New York
City�s Sanitation Department, since New York and Manila have similar waste
situations, and concluded the exchange with a better understanding of solid
waste management options.
At the Burgess & Niple, Ltd. (B&N) facility in Columbus, Ohio, the Dizon
representative participated in an additional week�s training on landfill
construction and engineering design. He will continue to work with B&N as
the U.S. firm, under contract to Dizon, converts a closed mine pit into a
sanitary landfill in San Marcelino, Zambales, Philippines. This contract,
signed January 1999, was facilitated by a 1998 US-AEP study tour which
introduced representatives of the two organizations. [Note: US-AEP�s
Environmental Exchange Program is administered by the Institute of
International Education. The Manila office of the American Consulting
Engineers Council, US-AEP�s partner for environmental infrastructure
development, assisted with the selection of study tour participants.] |
