US-AEP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Greening of Industry Network-Asia (GIN-Asia) sponsored an important policy conference in Manila, Philippines, on "Environmentally Sustainable Development Policies," August 1-3. The conference is part of the US-AEP Policy Group�s efforts to promote and support policy initiatives that affect an industrial and urban transformation in Asia. Senior representatives from US-AEP, ADB, GIN-Asia, the United Nations Environmental Programme, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and ten Asian governments participated in the three-day event.

Participants discussed the US-AEP-sponsored framing papers, which lay the groundwork for an international dialogue on environmental policy issues. The papers, prepared by Asian and U.S. experts, emphasize the necessary synergy between economic and environmental policy development. In the closing presentation of the conference, US-AEP Executive Director Peter Kimm highlighted the main focus areas for environmental policy initiatives in Asia: integrating environmental policy with each country�s particular circumstances, promoting the relevance of environmental regulatory agencies, working to improve governance systems, and ensuring performance measurement.

US-AEP will publish the framing papers, which will be used as a platform for future policy initiatives.

Responding to a request from the Malaysia Department of Environment (DOE), US-AEP recently sponsored a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Action Team to support DOE�s development of an environmental audit program. Amendments to the Malaysia Environmental Quality Act in 1996 require DOE to establish both a mandatory audit program and an auditor certification process. Two trips to Kuala Lumpur, one in April and another in July, were made by the Action Team to meet with DOE directors and staff. EPA team members provided guidance and recommendations on the structure of both a national audit program and an auditor certification program. As a result of the assistance provided by EPA, the DOE is prepared to finalize its environmental audit initiative in Malaysia later this year.

In addition, the EPA Action Team helped DOE managers develop a policy framework for voluntary environmental audit practices. This entails integrating voluntary practices with the growing trend toward cleaner production among the Malaysian industrial and manufacturing sectors. EPA�s work complemented the US-AEP�s State Environmental Initiative project between Colorado and Malaysia to increase cleaner production technologies and practices among Malaysian businesses. [Note: The Office of Technology Cooperation in Malaysia provided support to the EPA team during its two trips to Kuala Lumpur. US-AEP�s State Environmental Initiative is administered by the Council for State Governments.]

The Indian state of Kerala served as location of the workshop on "Energy and Environment�Prospects of International Support" on July 30, sponsored by US-AEP and Kerala State�s Energy Management Centre (EMC). The workshop highlighted energy efficiency projects, solid waste management, emission control for the automobile industry, and pollution monitoring devices in the Kerala region.

More than 40 participants attended the workshop. US-AEP/Chennai Technology Representative Sundaresan Subramanian, who made a presentation on US-AEP�s services, said that the number of participants was larger than anticipated, showing a strong interest in the subject. Attendees included representatives from government, nongovernmental organizations, and industries such as electronics, food processing, zinc production, and metal fabrication.

A U.S. environmental catalog show was held in conjunction with the workshop. More than 65 people visited the catalog show. Additionally, Mr. Subramanian held one-on-one meetings with selected participants, which resulted in eight new trade leads.

EMC�s director, Prof. V.K. Damodaran, expressed appreciation for US-AEP's participation in the workshop and is looking forward to working together further on future activities.

Dr. Vithet Srinetr, environmental scientist of the Thai Pollution Control Department (PCD), visited Virginia, Oregon, and Washington as part of an EEP-supported study tour on water quality issues, July 16-25. The first stop for Dr. Vithet was the Waste Testing and Quality Assurance Symposium (WTQA �99) in Arlington, Virginia, sponsored by the Waste Policy Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The theme of the conference was "Preparing for Change under PBMS (Performance-Based Measurement System)." Dr. Vithet also discussed PBMS in separate meetings with Waste Policy Institute and EPA staff. As head of PCD�s water laboratory, Dr. Vithet plans to use the information about EPA�s new PBMS approach to set up the criteria for selecting acceptable measurement methods and data. This will help to better manage the laboratory costs for sample analysis and the accuracy of compliance with water quality regulations.

After WTQA �99, Dr. Vithet visited the facilities of the North Creek Analytical Laboratory (NCA) in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. PCD currently has a contract with NCA for seawater sample testing at their U.S. laboratories. While at NCA�s two facilities, Dr. Vithet discussed the results of the sample testing with NCA�s experts and toured their laboratories. [Note: US-AEP�s Environmental Exchange Program (EEP) is administered by the Institute of International Education.]