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Recent Program UpdatesNew Website Connects ASEAN Suppliers with Global BuyersTuesday, October 13, 2009 The SourceASEAN.com website, unveiled at the recent ASEAN Fashion Plus Trade Fair in Bangkok, enables buyers to source textiles and production in ASEAN countries with the click of a mouse. USAID supported development of this virtual, vertical factory, enhancing sales and networking for ASEAN’s textiles and apparel industry.Chinese Officials Agree to Strengthen CFL Quality ControlsTuesday, October 13, 2009 Chinese government and private-sector representatives agreed at a USAID-sponsored meeting in Beijing to ensure that energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) consistently meet quality standards. China makes 90 percent of the world’s CFLs.Thailand Erects Wildlife Trafficking Banners at All BordersTuesday, October 13, 2009 Thailand posted placards and banners at its borders with Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia to raise awareness about the impact and illegality of trading in protected species. The program, supported by the US Support Program for the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), is engineered to heighten vigilance among customs officials.USAID Arranges Deals Financing Philippine Clean Energy ProjectsTuesday, October 13, 2009 The USAID-supported Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) recently engaged the Development Bank of the Philippines and Endesa Carbono S.L. to provide funding for clean energy ventures. The Development Bank of the Philippines has allocated $400 million for environmental and energy projects. Endesa Carbono S.L., a leading carbon-finance company, will work with clean-energy project developers to provide access to carbon financing.HIV Prevention Campaign for Men Launched in Kunming, ChinaTuesday, October 13, 2009 The first community campaign to promote free HIV counseling, testing and clinical services was held on China’s Valentine’s Day. Some 150 provincial officials, community-based-organization members, and men who have sex with men attended the event, jointly sponsored by USAID and Yunnan’s provincial government.USAID Sponsors Tour to Renovate & Modernize Power PlantsTuesday, October 13, 2009 Eighteen representatives from India’s Ministry of Power and leading utilities toured renovated and modernized power plants in Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. The delegation also met with leading power-plant-technology suppliers to discuss India’s R&M potential.Rangers' Enforcement Training Standardized for ASEANTuesday, October 13, 2009 The USAID-backed ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network forged an alliance with the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity to begin enforcement training for protected areas. The program, launched in Thailand, will be a model for all ASEAN member states. The initial training will involve 20 Thai Rangers and 20 representatives from other ASEAN states.ASEAN Establishes Migrant Workers' Rights DatabaseTuesday, October 13, 2009 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations' new web-accessed database will help uphold migrant workers' rights by keeping track of regulations and agreements relating to the recruitment, hiring, employment, promotion and protection of migrant workers in the region. USAID helped support the development of this database.US-China Clean Energy & Climate Partnership Program AwardedMonday, September 28, 2009 A three-year, $6-million cooperative agreement was awarded to the Institute for Sustainable Communities, in partnership with the World Resources Institute, to help two of China’s most industrialized provinces – Guangzhou and Jiangsu – build the capacity of industries, the electric power sector, and selected cities to become more energy efficient while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Thai Military Joins to Fight Wildlife TraffickingSunday, September 20, 2009 The Royal Thai Army, Navy and Air Force joined other government agencies to improve security for Thai forests and wildlife in what amounts to be the broadest interagency collaboration for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) country. The agreement was forged at a workshop co-hosted by the USAID-funded ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) Support Program.Chinese Utilities Focus on Improved Water Service DeliverySunday, September 20, 2009 USAID’s China Water and Sanitation Program helped the World Bank stage a workshop in Jiangsu Province that highlighted Chinese efforts to include public participation for infrastructure planning as well as successful twinning efforts between utilities in Manila and Yancheng, China.USAID to Help Chinese Province to Meet Energy Savings GoalSunday, September 20, 2009 USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program and other US partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hebei Province’s Demand-Side Management and Instruction Center to help it establish a company that will promote the development of an energy-efficient 600-megawatt “virtual” power plant. ECO-Asia and its U.S. partners will help Hebei’s energy center develop a business plan, identify financing options, market the power plant to Chinese and international financial institutions, and design and implement energy-savings projects.Manila & Surabaya Work to Expand Water Services to Urban PoorSunday, September 20, 2009 The USAID-supported WaterLinks program “twinned” water teams from the Philippines and Indonesia so Surabaya can rapidly connect 15,000 low-income households to water, reduce illegal connections, and improve operational efficiency.USAID Project Wins Pacific Asia Travel Association AwardFriday, August 21, 2009 The Responsible Tourism Guide to the Mekong (http://exploremekong.org/), a USAID-supported ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) project, won a 2009 Gold Award for website design and presentation from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). PATA is one of the largest and most-respected travel-industry associations in the world. The website supports cultural and environmental protection, greater economic benefits for the Mekong’s people through tourism, and a better understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues by visitors to the region. The site cost little more than $1,000 to design and build and was based on a 2008 book published by the Mekong Tourism Development Project.Training Could Save Chinese Firms $17 Million in Energy CostsFriday, August 21, 2009 USAID’s Sustainable Buildings Partnership (SPB) provided training in Guangzhou to some of China’s key property management and development companies representing 900 buildings and over 5 million square meters of commercial and residential space. Based on typical 10%-20% savings, SPB estimates that if participants were to reduce energy consumption by just 10%, they would save $17 million and avoid emissions equivalent to 140,673 metric tons of carbon dioxide. SBP will now assess selected properties and provide tailored energy improvement recommendations.Chinese Officials & Legal Pros Finish Environmental Law TrainingFriday, August 21, 2009 Delegates from China’s State Electricity Regulatory Commission, environmental law professors and law students completed USAID-supported environmental law training programs at Vermont Law School. Classes lasted between three and 12 months. Participants also received hands-on experience in environmental enforcement and energy governance through internships with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.USAID Creates Market for Electric Vehicles in the PhilippinesFriday, August 21, 2009 Noting the increasing demand for motorcycles in the Philippines, USAID helped EKO Vehicles of India enter the market to sell its high-performance electric motorcycles. EKO Vehicles signed a distributorship agreement with Cleansave Corp., which is expanding the market for eco-friendly two-wheelers. The partnership was forged by the USAID ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program as part of its work to support the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) in Asia.USAID Offices in Bangkok May Be First to Receive Environmental CertificationMonday, August 03, 2009 New office space for USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (USAID/RDMA) is being designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, making it the first U.S. State Department or USAID office in the world to receive certification. LEEDS is an internationally recognized standard for environmentally sustainable construction. RDMA designs would currently qualify for the silver, or second-highest, rating. There is a possibility that RDMA may be awarded the gold rating.US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership Advises UniversitiesMonday, August 03, 2009 The Chinese government has invited USAID’s US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership (SBP) to advise universities on building sustainability for their new Sustainable Campus Initiative. To date SBP has provided training to almost 200 university administrators from 60 universities across China on no-cost and low-cost sustainability strategies. If China’s universities were to cut electricity consumption by 5%, they could save almost $112 million annually and avoid 865,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.USAID Helps Philippines Assess Environmental Compliance ProgramMonday, August 03, 2009 USAID has supported an assessment of environmental compliance assistance centers in Pasig, Philippines. With a focus on the hog farm and slaughterhouse industries in the Laguna de Bay region, workshop participants identified key areas that must be addressed to sustain the centers and ensure they continue to help in regulations compliance and preservation of the environment. Participants included officials from industry and government agencies, as well as compliance assistance centers in Thailand and India.USAID Credited in Bangkok “Clean Hands, Good Health” Commuter CampaignMonday, July 27, 2009 To stem the spread of H1N1 flu, commuters are being handed free sachets of antibacterial gel at Bangkok Transportation Authority Skytrain stations. Leaflets crediting USAID, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and Kenan Institute Asia illustrate effective hand-washing techniques. Colgate-Palmolive, which has partnered with USAID in the “Clean Hands, Good Health” Global Development Alliance campaigns to fight avian influenza in Thailand and Laos, is providing the sanitizer.Chinese Judicial Officials Join Program to Exclude Illegal EvidenceMonday, July 27, 2009 The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative and China University of Political Science and Law are designing and implementing procedures that will exclude the use of illegally obtained evidence in Chinese criminal trials. The launch of a provincial pilot under this USAID-funded project in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, was attended by 120 judiciary officials who observed a videotape of a U.S. hearing to suppress evidence and then discussed practical challenges to implementing exclusionary rule procedures in China.Chinese Legal Experts Study U.S. Mediation and Alternative Dispute ResolutionMonday, July 27, 2009 An 18-member delegation of Chinese legal and judicial experts visited Boston and Washington, D.C., as part of the USAID-funded Enhanced Judicial Education in China program. The group observed mediation screenings, visited a dispute resolution center, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the American Bar Association to learn about the U.S. legal system’s structure and procedures.US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership Advises Chinese Mayors About EnergyMonday, July 27, 2009 USAID’s US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership (SBP) has been selected as a lead advisor to address energy use in existing and new buildings at the National Mayoral Training Center, which is run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD). SBP will train the mayors of more than 680 cities in practical approaches to energy use in existing and new buildings. This follows an initial group of 25 mayors, whose cities collectively have nearly 50-million residents.Record Number of Wildlife Crime Convictions Recorded in Thailand, VietnamMonday, July 27, 2009 An unprecedented 30 wildlife crime convictions were reported in Vietnam and Thailand during the first six months of 2009, along with 37 law enforcement apprehensions, arrests or other actions, compared with 25 during the previous six months. Police are becoming more vigilant and increasingly working across borders to protect threatened flora and fauna through the training and coordination efforts of the USAID-supported ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network.Clinton Highlights USAID’s Climate Change Efforts in AsiaFriday, July 24, 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters in Thailand that the U.S. Government plans to launch a regional climate change initiative to encourage research and scaled-up investment in clean energy technologies and practices in Asia and Southeast Asia. "To illustrate the Obama administration’s commitment to deepening engagement on this critical issue of climate change, we’ve asked Congress for a seven-fold increase in USAID's climate change funding for this region," Clinton said, adding she would encourage high-level dialogue on climate change at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Phuket.China Solicits USAID’s Expertise for Energy ProgramsFriday, July 24, 2009 Hebei Province officials are requesting assistance from USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program (ECO-Asia) to support the province’s energy-saving program. ECO-Asia will develop a strategy for Hebei's public energy service company ("Super ESCO") to finance of energy efficiency projects and develop efficiency services.USAID Helps Guangdong Draft Health, Safety CertificationFriday, July 24, 2009 The drafting of China’s first national certification protocol for environment, health, and safety (EHS) was begun at a summit organized by USAID's Guangdong Environmental Partnership (GEP) and Sun Yat-sen University. Attendees included the leadership of the Guangdong Bureau of Labor and Social Security and the Bureau of Work Safety. One of the goals is to establish EHS as a recognized profession in China and increase the pool of EHS managers serving China’s industrial facilities.USAID Establishes Clean Energy Financing PartnershipsFriday, July 24, 2009 USAID's ECO-Asia signed partnership agreements with Cleanergy Investment Service Company, a subsidiary of Hanergy, China's largest private power investment group, and Accord Global Environment Technology Company, a leading developer of greenhouse gas mitigation projects in China. The companies agreed to work with USAID to strengthen and expand the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) by identifying clean energy projects in China that need financing, assisting with project mentoring and helping to identify additional network members.U.S. & China Expand Green Property Management PlanFriday, July 24, 2009 USAID’s US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership (SBP) launched a new collaboration in Sichuan Province with the Chengdu Property Management Association (CDPMA), which represents over 4 million square meters of building space, the equivalent of midtown-Manhattan’s commercial office space. CDPMA is helping members adopt energy performance monitoring and no-cost and low-cost energy-saving strategies. Members could save an estimated $16.3 million dollars and 127,900 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions if they were to adopt basic green buildings practices.China Green Buildings Council Invites USAID Partnership to JoinThursday, July 16, 2009 USAID’s US-China Sustainable Buildings Partnership has been invited to be the first non-Chinese advisor to the China Green Buildings Council, the country’s leading building-certification body. The advisor will serve alongside high-level representatives from research institutes, universities, industry and the Chinese government. Participation on the council will support USAID’s goals of scaling up national programs to effectively reduce energy use in buildings.Pilot Courses on Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Launched in ChinaThursday, July 16, 2009 USAID’s Guangdong Environmental Partnership program launched the EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) Academy with courses for more than 70 factory managers from Guangdong Province. The curriculum is designed to teach managers to improve compliance with EHS standards. The academy is working with the Guangdong Bureau of Labor and Social Security to establish EHS certification in China.Chinese Community Members Identify Energy Efficiency PrioritiesThursday, July 16, 2009 Residents of Sanjiao and Doumen Townships in Guangdong Province have begun identifying energy efficiency priorities that they will pursue over the next two years. As part of USAID’s Guangdong Environmental Partnership, these communities have formed committees to improve energy efficiency with representatives from government, business, educational institutions, and the citizenry.New Regulation for Sustainable Timber Published in IndonesiaThursday, July 16, 2009 Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry has published a new regulation that will help verify sustainable and legal timber. Under the new rule, timber will undergo independent assessment based on new standards developed with the help of USAID’s Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) program. This process will increase Indonesia’s timber trade from legal sources.Coral Triangle Officials Study Fisheries Management in the PhilippinesThursday, July 16, 2009 With support from USAID, 25 representatives from six Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands) met in the Philippines to develop new skills in managing fisheries based on whole ecosystems. Participants visited Bohol Island, home of a successful coastal resource management program and developed strategies to support their national CTI plans of action.ASEAN Members & China Join to Promote Payment for Ecosystem ServicesTuesday, July 14, 2009 Over 130 representatives from ASEAN member countries and China attended a USAID-organized workshop in Bangkok on Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs which lessen environmental degradation and reward people for their conservation efforts. Participants reviewed Vietnam’s recent launch of the first pilot PES program in Asia and discussed opportunities to initiate PES programs in their own countries.USAID Secures Commitments for More Water PartnershipsWednesday, July 01, 2009 Representatives from Australian and Japanese national water associations agreed to encourage partnerships among water utilities after exploring their advantages at a meeting with the founders of the WaterLinks network – USAID, the International Water Association and the Asian Development Bank – at Singapore International Water Week. WaterLinks helps provide clean drinking water to communities by fostering technical exchanges, or “twinning,” between water and wastewater service providers in developing and industrialized countries.USAID Developing Environmental Service Markets to Support Green Growth in AsiaWednesday, July 01, 2009 More than 100 policy makers and development experts explored innovative approaches to sustainable conservation financing in Southeast Asia at a USAID-sponsored Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) workshop in Bangkok. With USAID support, Vietnam has just become the region’s first country to develop a national pilot PES policy and demonstrate how payments to rural residents can lessen environmental degradation. Groundwork is now under way for similar USAID-sponsored programs in Laos and Cambodia.Cooperatives Strengthen Tibetan CommunitiesWednesday, July 01, 2009 USAID is developing cooperatives to help nomadic communities gain self-sufficiency by improving their livestock and products and creating a stronger market for them. Bridge Fund pilot programs in Mintang and Drugyu Townships in Qinghai Province benefit an estimated 600 Tibetan herders and are creating a model that can be adopted in other nomadic communities.USAID Sponsors Exchange to Establish Environmental Court in ThailandWednesday, July 01, 2009 U.S. and Australian judges and legal scholars met with their Thai counterparts at a USAID-supported meeting to discuss court policies and procedures that could lead to the establishment of an environmental court in Thailand.India Approves Funds to Reduce Emissions at Power PlantsWednesday, July 01, 2009 By approving funding to modernize three aging, coal-fired power plants, India is reducing emissions the equivalent of taking nearly 225,000 cars off the road over the lifetime of the plants. USAID’s ECO-Asia Clean Development and Climate Program has been working with India’s Ministry of Power and other partners to improve the efficiency of India’s existing power plants and create policies that benefit the environment.USAID Helps Investors Target Clean Energy Opportunities in IndonesiaWednesday, July 01, 2009 More than 120 industry experts and investors reviewed innovative clean-energy projects at the Indonesia Clean Energy Investor Forum in Jakarta. Biogas, wind energy, landfill methane capture, small hydropower, etc. projects were showcased at the meeting, which was organized by the Private Finance Advisory Network (PFAN), a public-private partnership managed by USAID.Coral Triangle Initiative Launched at Six-Country SummitWednesday, May 20, 2009 The leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste met at a six-country summit in Manado, Indonesia and endorsed the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and its Regional Plan of Action to preserve the world’s greatest expanse of mangroves, coral reefs and diversity of fish, currently under threat from pollution, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change. At the same time, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron Hume, U.S. Assistant Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere Mary Glackin and USAID/Indonesia Mission Director Walter North jointly announced an additional pledge of $1.6 million to support CTI regional and national activities, starting with Indonesia. This is in addition to the nearly $40 million that USAID has already pledged to support the international effort to save the Coral Triangle.Utilities Strive to Improve Water Supplies to SurabayaWednesday, May 20, 2009 Six experts from the water company in Surabaya, Indonesia, visited Ranhill Utilities in Johor, Malaysia, to improve delivery techniques to provide continuous water supplies at home. The utilities are collaborating with USAID’s support to increase water pressure to distribute water supplies to current customers and begin service to unconnected communities.USAID Pandemic Response Funds Help ASEAN Address A/H1N1Wednesday, May 20, 2009 The 10 countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations immediately began sharing information about their flu situation thanks in part to the speedy response of a pandemic expert assigned by USAID to ASEAN’s headquarters in Jakarta. The expert working at the ASEAN-US Facility organized regional discussions on preparedness and to review the status of regional stockpiles of antivirals and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Health ministers from ASEAN, plus China, Japan and South Korea, then met in Bangkok to discuss coordinating their defense against the A/H1N1 flu, including establishing a joint mechanism for the development and production of vaccines. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, cited "AusAID and USAID for their support to ASEAN in our emerging infectious diseases program and pandemic preparedness."Regional Tuberculosis Center Opens in ManilaWednesday, May 20, 2009 The Asia-Pacific region’s first Model Center focusing on the prevention and control of Multiple-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was launched at the Tropical Disease Foundation in Makati City, Manila. The regional Model Tuberculosis (TB) Center, in collaboration with the Philippine Department of Health and the ministries of health of other countries, is providing high-quality technical assistance and training for health experts and national tuberculosis programs throughout the Asia-Pacific Region. The regional Model Tuberculosis Center, funded by USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia, is the second center of its kind in the world.Asia Launches First Payment for Environmental Services ProgramWednesday, May 20, 2009 Two hydropower plants in Vietnam made their first quarterly payments of about $680,000 to a fund that will help rural families plant sustainable crops and reduce illegal logging and deforestation. The payment for environmental services policy promotes investments by hydropower companies, municipal water agencies, and the tourism sector to maintain valuable forest areas while reducing water and electricity costs, such as outlays for dredging silt washed downstream to dams.USAID Pandemic Preparedness Funds Help ASEAN Address A/H1N1Wednesday, May 13, 2009 The 10 countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations immediately began sharing information about their flu situation thanks in part to the speedy response of a pandemic expert assigned by USAID to ASEAN’s headquarters in Jakarta. The expert working at the ASEAN-US Facility organized regional discussions on preparedness and to review the status of regional stockpiles of antivirals and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Health ministers from ASEAN, plus China, Japan and South Korea, then met in Bangkok to discuss coordinating their defense against the A/H1N1 flu, including establishing a joint mechanism for the development and production of vaccines. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, cited "AusAID and USAID for their support to ASEAN in our emerging infectious diseases program and pandemic preparedness."Asia Launches First Payment for Environmental Services ProgramWednesday, May 13, 2009 Two hydropower plants in Vietnam made their first quarterly payments of about $680,000 to a fund that will help rural families plant sustainable crops and reduce illegal logging and deforestation. The payment for environmental services policy promotes investments by hydropower companies, municipal water agencies, and the tourism sector to maintain valuable forest areas while reducing water and electricity costs, such as outlays for dredging silt washed downstream to dams. | |||
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