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ANE Regional Activities
>> Regional Overview >> ANE Regional Activities Overview ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Asia and the Near East Regional
TITLE AND NUMBER: South Asia Regional Environment Program, 498-013
STATUS: Continuing
PLANNED FY 2001 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: None.
PROPOSED FY 2002 OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: None.
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 2000 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2002Summary: Demands on energy, natural resources, and environmental systems are intensifying in South Asia due to population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Recent droughts and floods, and deteriorating water quality, have highlighted the need for improved water resources planning and management in the region. Arsenic contamination of shallow groundwaters of the Bengal Delta in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, is now recognized as one of the most significant mass poisoning events in the world, affecting perhaps as many as 40-60 million people. Air and water pollution are pressing environmental problems - 13 of the cities with the worst air pollution in the world are in Asia, resulting in at least 1.5 million premature deaths per year. This region is also among the world's most biodiverse, but this diversity is threatened by continuing loss of the region's tropical forests. There is also a need to build confidence among the countries in the region to reduce tensions and promote regional cooperation.
In response, the U.S. proposes to work through a South Asia Regional Program (SARP) to: (1) support targeted confidence building measures between Bangladesh and India; and (2) to help address the region's environmental needs and promote local and regional solutions to environmental problems. In particular, SARP will help build national and regional capacity to: (1) foster better policies and improved environmental planning and management; (2) create and/or strengthen regional forums, networks, and associations for cooperation and advocacy for improved environmental and natural resources management; and (3) strengthen local and regional capacity to design and carry out effective environmental and natural resources management programs.
Key Results: The South Asia Regional Program has helped to increase the capacity of South Asian national and regional organizations, both public and private, to develop and sustain more effective programs for addressing key environmental issues.
Performance and Prospects: Under SARP, research by the U.S. Geological Survey has led to better understanding of the geochemistry and hydrology of arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bangladesh. SARP also provided technical assistance to support the creation of the Bangladesh Tropical Forest Conservation Trust Fund.
In FY 2001, SARP will: (1) support expansion of Sandia National Laboratory's Cooperative Monitoring Center's regional water monitoring project, involving India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, to increase sharing of water quality data on an open website; and (2) continue to support U.S. Geological Survey investigations of the sources of arsenic contamination in the groundwater of the Bengal Delta in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Possible Adjustments to Plans: Starting in FY 2001, funds will be obligated and activities will be reported under the regional strategic objective "Environment Managed for Prosperity and Sustainability" (498-013).
Other Donor Programs: This program is being managed as a regional activity, with special attention to donor collaboration in its implementation. Both the World Bank and UNICEF have major programs to mitigate the arsenic problem, but they have indicated that they would welcome more careful study of the geologic origin and processes that concentrate arsenic in the aquifer. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank are also involved in tropical forest conservation and management in Bangladesh. Indeed, the Asian Development Bank recently signed an agreement with the Government of Bangladesh for $80 million for the Sunderbans Biodiversity Project, which is mainly concerned with forestry management in these globally significant mangrove forests that serve as home to endangered Bengal tigers. The TFCA Trust Fund will be developed and administered so that it complements these other donor programs.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: Sandia National Laboratory will implement the regional water monitoring activity. The U.S. Geological Survey will carry out the study of the cause of arsenic groundwater contamination. Technical assistance with the establishment of a Board of Directors for the creation of the TFCA secretariat in Bangladesh will be provided through an institutional contractor.
Selected Performance Measures:
Baseline(2000) Result(FY 2001) Target(FY 2002) Source of arsenic groundwater contamination identified and monitoring systems improved. U.S. Geological Survey coordinates data gathering and laboratory analyses with other agencies working on the arsenic problem. USGS initiates long-term study of hydrology and geochemistry of arsenic contamination of groundwater. USGS begins institution-building activities with various Government of Bangladesh agencies to establish long-term arsenic-monitoring programs. Sandia regional water quality monitoring program fosters regional sharing of water quality information. Sandia convenes successful workshop to promote water quality data sharing in South Asia. Water quality data sites are identified in concert with regional partners; number of water quality presently monitored is expanded. Regional water quality monitoring continues; expanded web page provides link to existing data sources and displays new data gathered by partners on a regular basis. U.S. Financing
(In thousands of dollars)
Obligations Expenditures Unliquidated Through September 30, 1999 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Fiscal Year 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 150 ESF 30 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA Through September 30, 2000 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 150 ESF 30 ESF 120 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA Prior Year Unobligated Funds 0 DA 0 CSD 350 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Planned Fiscal Year 2001 NOA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Total Planned Fiscal Year 2001 0 DA 0 CSD 350 ESF 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 DFA Future Obligations Est. Total Cost Proposed Fiscal Year 2002 NOA 0 DA 0 DA 0 DA 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 CSD 0 ESF 0 ESF 500 ESF 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 SEED 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 FSA 0 DFA 0 DFA 0 DFA
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Last Updated on: May 29, 2002 |
