Note: This document may not always reflect the actual appropriations determined by Congress. Final budget allocations for USAID's programs are not determined until after passage of an appropriations bill and preparation of the Operating Year Budget (OYB).
ASIA AND THE NEAR EAST REGIONAL ACTIVITIES
FY 1997 FY 1998 FY 1999 Actual Estimate Request Development Assistance.............. $18,946,000 $28,822,000 $33,053,000 Child Survival and Disease.......... 5,980,000 11,550,000 12,454,000 Economic Support Funds............. 20,876,000 37,250,000 42,400,000 PL 480 Title II......................... 97,165,000 8,297,000 ---
IntroductionThe Asia and Near East (ANE) regional portfolio provides reinforcement to USAID bilateral and regional strategies in economic growth, HIV/AIDS prevention, environment, family planning and maternal child health, and democracy. The ANE regional program serves U.S. national interests and foreign policy objectives in support of the Middle East peace program; by providing critical family planning and maternal child health programs which improve the well-being and health of women and children thereby reducing the pressures on the region's water resources and environment; by monitoring the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region and supporting measures to limit the cross-border spread of infectious diseases; by supporting nascent democracy and rule of law activities within the region; and by addressing critical transnational environmental issues such as the Indonesian crisis regionally through ASEAN.
ANE regional activities in civil society, rule of law, family planning and maternal child health, basic education, and microcredit are supported in both bilateral and non-presence countries including Vietnam and Pakistan. ESF funded regional activities include support to the Middle East Peace Process, the 1987 Tuna Treaty with sixteen Pacific Island Countries, and human rights and civil society activities in Burma, Laos, Cambodia, China, as well as other countries within the region. Residual activities for close-out programs in Oman, the South Pacific, Thailand, Tunisia, and Yemen are also supported.
The Development Challenge
The Asia Near East Bureau encompasses one of the world's most diverse and dynamic regions. The region presents both challenges and opportunities for USAID. In Asia, rapid economic growth and industrialization is being offset by high population growth rates, the highest rate of new HIV/AIDS incidence in the world, high levels of poverty, and systemic gender discrimination. In the Near East, high population growth rates magnifies the effects of acute shortage of freshwater supplies and further degrades water quality and the environment. Thus, ANE has identified three critical development challenges: (a) sustain the trends in economic growth while slowing population growth; (b) improve environmental quality; and (c) help find ways to reduce conflicts over water.
The Fostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes (FORWARD) activity is an ANE initiative to bring parties in the Middle East which compete for scarce water resources together to find sustainable solutions. FORWARD uses traditional mediation and conciliation efforts along with international collaborative approaches to resolve water use and tariff disputes in Egypt, Jordan, and the West Bank/Gaza.
Regional activities are also helping to stabilize population growth by analyzing trends, providing education and communication resources, data collection, and service delivery within ANE.
Operational research, particularly in the areas of integrated family planning and mother child health programs and infectious disease, is supported through regional and bilateral programs. Other regional programs support NGO strengthening and service delivery in Pakistan, Cambodia, and Laos.
Regional activities are supporting the analysis of economic growth trends, the trade enabling environment in Vietnam, and the Asia economic crisis to ascertain what interventions, if any, are most appropriate bilaterally and regionally. Economic growth analysis also examines the threats to growth from the spread of HIV/AIDS infections, high population growth rates, and the degradation of the environment. The region already has the highest incidence of new HIV/AIDS cases in the world and its spread has the potential to restrict economic growth significantly. Regional interventions support the prevention of cross-border transmission of the disease and the education of high-risk populations, policy-makers, and businesses.
The United States - Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) is an inter-agency initiative, sponsored by USAID, which engages the strength of the U.S. Government, and U.S. academic, business, professional and technological communities, to deal with the environmental challenges of rapid industrial and urban growth in Asia. While continuing to support environmental activities to ameliorate the harmful effects of industrial pollution and to help provide urban infrastructure to Asia's teeming cities, US-AEP introduces U.S.-developed highly efficient and inherently less pollution process to technologies to Asians. US-AEP brings together U.S. environmental technology and the Asian private and governmental entities to develop clean technologies for future Asian growth.
Economic Support Funds............. support the Middle East Peace Process through joint economic and technical activities which strengthen cooperation between Israel and its neighbors. The Treaty on Fisheries between the USG and various Pacific Island nations is supported through an annual transfer of funds to the Department of State which manages this program. The Treaty, which expires in FY 2002, allows U.S. licensed boats to harvest $200 million in tuna annually from Treaty waters.
FY 1999 Program
Resources requested will support ANE regional and bilateral activities which (a) support country and regional HIV/AIDS prevention and effectiveness programs, particularly in Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam; (b) provide support to country and regional program interventions in the areas of economic growth, health, population, infectious disease, environment, and democracy and governance; (c) promote equitable and environmentally sustainable water use strategies, policies, and plans in ANE countries which face shortages and/or disputes over water; (d) support the Middle East Peace Process and other USG treaties; and (e) implement critical non-presence programs in Vietnam, Pakistan, Laos, and Burma.
ASIA AND THE NEAR EAST REGIONAL
FY 1999 PROGRAM SUMMARY
($000)
USAID Strategies and Special
ObjectivesEconomic
Growth &
Agriculture
Population &
Health
Environment
DemocracyHuman
Capacity
Development
Humanitarian
Assistance
TOTALSFostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes (FORWARD)
- D.A.
1,100
1,100
Asia and Near East Regional HIV/AIDS
-CSD
5,200
5,200
Reengineering Development and Support
- D.A.
- CSD
1,823
6,243
7,254
5,217
370
300
13,953
7,254Promote an Asian clean environmental revolution (US-AEP)
- D.A.
18,000
18,000
South Pacific Fisheries Treaty -ESF
14,000
14,000
Middle East Peace Process/Democracy Building
-ESF
12,000
4,000
16,000
Asia Regional/South Asia Democracy
-ESF
12,400
12,400
Totals
- D.A.
- CSD
- ESF
1,823
0
26,000
6,243
12,454
0
24,317
0
0
370
0
16,400
300
0
0
0
0
0
33,053
12,454
42,400
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Asia and the Near East Regional
TITLE AND NUMBER: Fostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes (FORWARD) (298-SO01)
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $1,100,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To promote equitable and environmentally sustainable water management strategies, policies and plans in countries in the Asia and the Near East (ANE) region which are facing serious water shortages and/or disputes over water.
Background: A key factor in water resources problems in the ANE region is the absence of effective mechanisms to manage shared water resources collaboratively and to resolve domestic and transboundary disputes over water. This results in impediments to efficient integrated water management. Where water disputes can be resolved, peaceful relations are enhanced.
USAID Role and Achievement to Date: USAID has been a partner to many ANE countries in water resources development over the years, and has supported collaborative use of water resources in both Asia and the Near East with capital projects and technical assistance. The initial focus of the Fostering Resolution of Water Resources Disputes (FORWARD) activity is on the water problems of Egypt, Jordan, and the West Bank and Gaza, but any ANE country with domestic and/or international water sharing problems can participate in FORWARD.
Now that new peace process funds have been infused into the water programs in Jordan, FORWARD activities will be particularly vital there, providing synergy with these programs to increase their impact and long-term sustainability. The success of FORWARD in Jordan has made it among the highest priorities of the Jordanian government. One major focus of FORWARD in Jordan is to provide the two main sections of the Jordanian water ministry (the Water Authority of Jordan and the Jordan Valley Authority) with the tools they need to determine the real cost of delivering water services to users. This capability is essential for the water authorities to determine realistic tariffs and commercialize their operations. Another key element of FORWARD there is to ensure that a core of well-trained and experienced Jordanian mediators exists as a long-term resource beyond the life of the project. So far about a dozen mediation candidates have been trained in Jordan who can co-facilitate and co-mediate disputes with American experts. In Gaza, FORWARD designed an approach for resolving the groundwater management dispute in the Gaza Strip, in conjunction with the Palestinian Water Authority. USAID and the Palestinians reached agreement on this approach in November 1997.
Description: FORWARD will provide U.S. contractor services for developing approaches to disputes resolution based on traditional practices in the countries involved, such as mediation or conciliation by persons respected by all parties, and environmentally sustainable technical approaches. FORWARD will support preparatory seminars to acquaint the parties with these approaches and will give limited support to measures to carry out solutions or will help the parties obtain financing from international development finance institutions if major costs are involved. Once new resolution practices are proven, FORWARD will spread their wider use.
Host Country and Other Donors: Host governments and educational and development institutions will be sources of traditional expertise and personnel for interventions in disputes. Costs of testing resolution methods may be shared with the relevant USAID country program(s). The parties will share costs of solutions. FORWARD will assist, where appropriate, in obtaining major financing needs from other donors and international institutions like the World Bank.
Beneficiaries: The parties to water disputes are the primary beneficiaries. The wider local, national or international community also benefits from better integration of water management and reduction in tensions associated with resolution of disputes.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: The principal contract for implementation of FORWARD was awarded in June 1996 to Development Alternatives, Inc.
Major Results Indicators: The Bureau is in the process of rearticulating performance indicators for this activity. New indications should be finalized in the Spring of 1998.
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Asia and the Near East Regional
TITLE AND NUMBER: Asia Near East Regional HIV/AIDS (298-SO03)
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $ 5,200,000 CSD
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: Continuing
Purpose: Increased use of effective responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the region. The program focuses on increasing condom availability, behavioral change interventions, control of sexually-transmitted diseases, demonstrations of model service delivery programs and close collaboration with NGOs. This program provides technical assistance in support of missions' bilateral programs as well as support for programs in non-presence countries such as Vietnam and Laos.
Background: The HIV/AIDS epidemic began in Asia some ten years after other regions of the world but now accounts for more than half of all new cases worldwide each year. Given the immense population of the region, absolute numbers of AIDS cases may dwarf what has been experienced elsewhere. In many countries of south and southeast Asia, the velocity of HIV transmission exceeds the rates experienced in Africa. This may be attributable to factors such as a large and growing commercial sex industry, significant cross-border movements of migratory labor and sex workers, and lack of effective governmental response to the problem.
USAID Role and Achievements to Date: The Asia and the Near East (ANE) regional HIV/AIDS activity has served as a catalyst to generate innovative area-specific programs, has brought together decision makers and program managers to share information and has enabled country programs to experiment. With the exception of Jordan, all missions in the region now support HIV/AIDS prevention activities. The ANE regional program also initiated cross-border HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, the latter through a grant to CARE International. Sentinel and behavioral surveillance have been supported in most countries of the region to increase understanding of transmission routes and identification of vulnerable populations. Social marketing efforts are making condoms more accessible in most countries. New pilot activities at cross-border sites in the region are helping to slow transmission between countries. The activity also supports the numerous non-governmental organizations that work to prevent HIV transmission among target groups and that mobilize support against trafficking. Workshops for advocacy have been held for political leaders, government workers, and private sector groups.
Description: ANE regional HIV/AIDS activities are implemented through Family Health International (FHI), the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, CARE International and The Asia Foundation, which support studies and innovative approaches which have proved successful. A recent evaluation of the regional HIV/AIDS program found the regional HIV activities to be crucial to HIV/AIDS prevention in the region, citing the importance of FHI's regional expertise in Bangkok. Future activities continue support for testing interventions with vulnerable populations such as commercial sex workers, intravenous drug users and migratory laborers. Strengthened HIV seroprevalence testing and behavioral surveillance are also on the agenda. NGOs play a critical role through development of grass roots organizations and community empowerment. They also play a crucial role in the prevention of HIV transmission through education and behavioral change efforts. The regional program initiates pilot programs in prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, which are highly prevalent in the region, and contribute significantly to the spread of HIV/AIDS. Efforts also will continue to integrate HIV prevention activities into reproductive health programs.
Host Country and Other Donors: The ANE regional program works closely with UNAIDS, other major donors, local government and national AIDS committees, local and international NGOs, and international advocacy organizations to maximize the efforts to slow the pandemic.
Beneficiaries: In low prevalence countries, efforts are targeted toward the most vulnerable and neglected groups, whose high velocity of transmission tends to predominate at the early stages of an AIDS epidemic. Generic media and face-to-face messages aimed at the general population are more appropriate in more advanced epidemics; messages include risk avoidance strategies as well as AIDS mitigation and human rights advocacy. Men and women are both susceptible to HIV/AIDS, and both benefit from the ANE regional program.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: Contractors, grantees and subgrantees providing assistance under this activity include The Asia Foundation, CARE International, DKT International, Family Health International, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the Population Council, and Population Services International.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline FY 1999 Target (1993) (2003) Number of Successful Cross-Border Interventions Implemented 0 12 45 Minimum Surveillance System Functioning 0 7 10 Number of Countries with Adequate National Condom Availability 0 4 10 Number of Countries with Adequate National Behavior Change Programs 0 3 8 Number of Countries with Adequate National HIV/AIDS Policies 0 6 8 Number of Successful STI Management Activities 0 26
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: Asia and the Near East Regional
TITLE AND NUMBER: Reengineering Development and Support (298-SO02)
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $13,953,000 DA: $7,254,000 CSD
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1995 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: Continuing
Purpose: To support country and regional programs in the operation of reengineered systems; and to improve country and regional strategies and activities in the areas of economic growth, health and population, environment, and democracy and governance.
Background: Many of the services needed for the transition of programs and activities in the Asian and the Near East (ANE) region to results-oriented reengineered systems can be provided most efficiently on a regional basis. It is also cost effective to provide support for design of strategies, activities and performance monitoring systems.
USAID Role and Achievement to Date: Over the past year, regional advisers under the ANE Reengineering Development and Support (RD&S) program supported the development and review of 13 strategic plans and 16 action plans and monitoring plans. This helped assure that ANE country and regional programs serve USAID Agency Goals and are effectively monitored for results. RD&S advisers continue to sharpen performance monitoring and reporting tools. In 1996, the advisers strengthened the first annual review of reengineered performance reports on country and regional activities. These annual reviews are the basis for performance-based budgeting of future years' resources.
Description: The RD&S Program consists of both sector-specific experts (health, HIV/AIDS, environment) and experts in cross-cutting support (performance monitoring, economic analysis, and women in development). These experts provide assistance directly to programs throughout the region to develop strategies, determine appropriate performance measures, identify appropriate data sources, and conduct evaluations. They also help in the review of strategic plans, monitoring plans, and performance reports and provide technical advice on both the merits of the program performance and how it can be improved over the next year. In addition, RD&S supports approaches to disengage from successful USAID programs in ways that enhance their sustainability.
Host Country and Other Donors: RD&S is not supported by other donors and host countries, but country activities supported by RD&S receive host country and other donor support.
Beneficiaries: The beneficiaries are host country populations who benefit from the bilateral and regional programs RD&S supports.
Principal Contractors, Grantees, or Agencies: RD&S experts are provided by contractors including: Management Systems International, DevTech, Academy for Education and Development, Daytex, Johns Hopkins University, Red Cross, and the University of Michigan.
Major Results Indicators: The Bureau is in the process of rearticulating gperformance indicators for this activity. New indicators should be finalized in the Spring of 1998.
ACTIVITY DATA SHEET
PROGRAM: United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP)
TITLE AND NUMBER: Promote an Asian clean environmental revolution
(499-SO01)
STATUS: Continuing
PROPOSED OBLIGATION AND FUNDING SOURCE: FY 1999: $18,000,000 DA
INITIAL OBLIGATION: FY 1992 ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE: FY 2001
Purpose: To promote and re-enforce the introduction of a sustainable, clean production regime for the industrial and urban sectors in the Asia region.
Background: The relationship between rapid economic growth in Asia and industrial and urban pollution in the Asia region defines a global environmental crisis. Asia has yet to install a significant proportion of the industrial capacity that it will have by the year 2010, suggesting a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get ahead of the investment curve to introduce a clean environmental regime. A large part of this new investment will originate in the advanced Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. This is an important economic opportunity for the United States.
USAID Role and Achievement to Date: United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) promotes and reinforces initiatives directed to a clean production revolution in the industrial sector of Asian economies. Achievements include the mobilization of U.S. Government agencies in a partnership with the U.S. business and environmental community to address the Asian challenge on a broadly-conceived regional basis. For example, in partnership with the Council of State Governments (CSG), US-AEP has invested more than $2.4 million in 18 projects involving 18 states and nine Asian economies. Partners have matched these grants with more than $6.3 million. More impressively, more than 87 state agencies, 24 academic institutions, 16 NGOs and 54 businesses are participating in this USAEP/CSG effort. Results are quantified in a range of indicators of the clean technology revolution, including the adoption of U.S. experience, technology and practice. To date, the US-AEP has contributed to the export sales of approximately $500 million worth of U.S. environmental goods and services and participation in infrastructure projects valued over $500 million. In 1997, APEC Ministers agreed to a "Cleaner Production" initiative which resulted in an endorsement of US-AEP's project with the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. This project will develop measures of industrial environmental performance in selected cross-cutting and industrial sectors for adoption by both the public and private sector. Ten other APEC economies have agreed to participate fully in this endeavor by carrying out similar studies with the aim of producing practical and concrete recommendations.
US-AEP has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia to expand a plant by plant environmental performance ranking and disclosure system from 250 to 750 sites. This system represents a new model for possible replication and has already demonstrated an ability to encourage industrial behavior that goes beyond traditional compliance requirements. Through The Asia Foundation, the US-AEP has mobilized 51 partnerships between businesses and NGOs that foster collaborations in solving environmental problems in Asia.
Description: US-AEP focuses on four activity areas: strengthening and expanding the incentives and public policies for environmental quality in the industrial sector, introducing environmental management systems to the industrial sector, reducing the barriers to the transfer of environmental and clean process technologies, and increasing the investment in environmental infrastructure. The US-AEP engages the experience, technology and practices of business, not-for-profit, and government organizations already committed to related goals and prepared to extend their own initiatives to Asia.
Most provide funds for joint efforts with US-AEP. A separate activity continues support for the Biodiversity Conservation Network which provides grants to communities and local organizations inAsia working on site-specific enterprise-oriented approaches to biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of forest and marine resources.
Host Country and Other Donors: The U.S.-Asia Environmental Partnership is not a typical assistance project. It seeks to foster partnerships rather than donor-client relationships. Working with other federal and state agencies, with the private sector, and with a wide range of nongovernmental organizations and universities, USAEP has forged a set of institutional partnerships mobilizing private initiative and resources. In this sense, it is a new model for development promotion. Other donors, such as Japan and Germany, have sought US-AEP advise on adopting the US-AEP model. USAID, through USAEP, is truly in a leadership position. Working through the U.S. executive offices at the multilateral development banks, through international political fora such as the Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and through partnership with the Council of State Governments, National Association of State Development Agencies, and the Greening of Industry Network, the U.S.-AEP is defining the economic/environmental agenda for the other donors in the region. The US-AEP directs its primary efforts toward building partnerships rather than donor-client relationships. As a result, the US-AEP has been increasingly successful in leveraging other public and private sources of funding for achieving its goals. For example, various grant programs with the States have leveraged from one to three dollars for each federal dollar. Further, the US-AEP and its various U.S. grantees seeks cost sharing or complementary investments from many Asian counterparts.
Beneficiaries: There is a range of beneficiaries: the citizens of participating countries, and particularly urban populations; populations on all continents will benefit from reductions in greenhouse gasses and other pollutants threatening human health, the quality of life or global climate; and U.S. business and labor will benefit from sales of their experience, technology and practice to Asian clients.
Principal Contractors, Grantees or Agencies: The US-AEP is implemented by three contractors (the Institute for International Education, International Resources Group, and Louis Berger International) and by cost-share partnership arrangements with U.S. Government agencies (such as the Departments of Agriculture and Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Overseas and Private Investment Corporation), the California Environmental Protection Agency, the National Association of State Development Agencies, the Council of State Governments, and seven non-governmental organizations (the Air and Waste Management Association, the Water Environment Federation, National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the East-West Center, the American Consulting Engineering Council, the Asia Foundation, Winrock International, and the World Wildlife Federation). The Biodiversity Conservation Network is a consortium of the World Wildlife Fund , the Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute.
Major Results Indicators: Baseline Target (1994) (1999) Environmental goods and services as a 1% 5% percentage of total industrial imports in ten target countries U.S. market share of environmental goods 10% 12% and service imports in ten target countries Environmental infrastructure - 3% 6% increase in percentage annual growth in five target countries Countries in which sustainable development 2 4 is an explicit goal Countries in which industrial environmental performance is 0 4 a strategic factor in industrial policy Countries in which industrial technology 3 5 extension systems are operating
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