REO U. S. HIGHLIGHTS DEPATMENT OF STATE · REO Highlights page 2 Southeast Asia facing severe...
Transcript of REO U. S. HIGHLIGHTS DEPATMENT OF STATE · REO Highlights page 2 Southeast Asia facing severe...
Southeast Asia facing severe drought
U. S.
DEPATMENT
OF STATE
April 2016
REO
HIGHLIGHTS
The U.S. Department of
State’s East and South-
east Asia Regional Envi-
ronmental Affairs Office
publishes this newsletter
for informational purpos-
es only.
The articles contained
herein should not be con-
strued as official U.S.
Government position.
Regional Environment,
Science, Technology and Health (ESTH) Hub for
East and Southeast Asia
U.S. Embassy Bangkok
+66-2 205-4712
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comment or submit ideas, please email
South-East Asia facing severe
drought 1-2
China’s water diplomacy 3
ZIKA 4
China’s Rosewood 5
USG Grantee Activity 6-7
Mekong News and others 8-10
ESTH Cables of Interest 11-12
IN THIS EDITION
The Mekong Delta is suffering the worst drought in 90 years. Other
Southeast Asia countries are not faring much better and water scarci-
ty warnings have been issued for Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City.
Continued development of hydropower along the Mekong river is
often cited as a contributing factor to water scarcity downstream
which brings extra condemnation of hydropower development plans,
but to little effect in halting or even slowing construction. The Me-
kong River Commission (MRC) has been criticized as ineffective with
countries not properly following the Prior Notification, Prior Consul-
tation and Agreement (PNPCA) terms that the member countries of
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam all agreed to. It’s a difficult
situation, pushed along by a robust social debate and academic warn-
ings about future water wars unless a reasonable effort can be spared
to manage the Lower Mekong River Basin in an appropriate, sustaina-
ble way. It’s an issue that has dogged the sub region for a long time.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked the Ministry of Natural Re-
sources & the Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vi-
etnam Mekong River Commission to send diplomatic notes to upriver
countries to ask them to share information about water resources
and the operation of hydropower reservoirs so as to provide water
to the lower course of Mekong, including Vietnam’s Mekong Del-
ta. Commenting about the move, Dao Trong Tu, advisor to the Vi-
etnam River Network, who was deputy secretary of the Vietnam Me-
kong River Commission, said: “The Prime Minister’s instruction
shows the state’s strong concern about water resources and the
REO Highlights page 2
Southeast Asia facing severe drought
difficulties Mekong Delta’s people are facing." This is not the first time Dung has mentioned the drought in Mekong Delta. Prior to
that, in 2014, when meeting Lao Prime Minister, Dung said to him that Laos, if
building hydropower plants, should take care of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, where
20 million people live.
Meanwhile, Thailand started diverting the Mekong River water to northeastern
agricultural areas in Thailand that have been affected by drought. According to
Vietnamese authorities Thailand had ignored “strong opposition from the regional
and international public” and decided “on diverting the Mekong to bring water to
drought-stricken areas in Thai territory.” Thai officials insisted what they took was
small and would not impact on water levels. Regardless of use, many argue that
Thailand should have followed the MRC’s PNPCA procedures. If the water is
strictly for agricultural use, it most likely would be approved under the PNPCA.
However, many are concerned that the water taken may exceed the river’s capac-
ity, even with extra water releases from upstream China, or that the water may
instead be diverted to cities.
Engineers at Bhumibol Dam, Thailand’s largest hydroelectric facility, told Consulate
staff that continued drought conditions have reduced the dam’s capacity to supply
water for rice farmers, and may impact Bangkok’s drinking water supply if this
year’s rains are below normal. Officials said both Bhumipol and Sirikit Dams in
northern Thailand are sustainable only through June. Rain is expected in June, but
effects of El Niño may delay or decrease the typical amount of rain the country
receives.
Low rice yields are expected from the harvests across the sub-region after last
year’s severe droughts upset the regular planting seasons. The lack of rain has also
resulted in lower than usual water in the Mekong River Basin in particular, leading
to increased salt levels creeping in from the South China Sea. Rising salinity had
also been foreshadowed in numerous reports dealing with climate change which
the authorities in Hanoi are attempting to deal with.
Whether due to climate change, natural weather patterns, hydropower develop-
ment or a combination of the above, water resource issues along the Mekong will stay contentious in the years to come.
REO Highlights page 3 REPORT: CHINA’S “WATER
DIPLOMACY” ON
THE MEKONG
At first glance, it looks benefi-
cent. As countries along the
Lower Mekong river that snakes through mainland
Southeast Asia struggled in the
grip of a severe drought, Chi-
na announced it would release
water from its upstream Jing-
hong dam over nearly a month
from March 15. The an-
nouncement was partly in-
tended as a goodwill gesture
one week ahead of the inaugu-
ral Lancang-Mekong Coopera-
tion summit of leaders of the
six Mekong region countries.
But while the water release will spell some immediate
relief for the drought-stricken
region, it portends future
geopolitical tensions between
China and its southern Me-
kong neighbors. Having unilat-
erally accumulated political
power by exploiting geography
and manipulating natural wa-
terways through the construc-
tion of a slew of upriver dams,
China appears intent to set
the regional water manage-
ment rules as it deems fit.
The Mekong, which the Chi-
nese refer to as Lancang, is
Asia's seventh-longest river
and provides livelihoods and
habitats for riverfront commu-
nities and natural wildlife
throughout its meandering
flow from China and Myanmar
to Laos and Thailand, down to
Cambodia and Vietnam before
it reaches the sea. China's
damming of the upper Mekong
has long been considered a
geopolitical risk for the lower
SAND WARS: Singapore's growth comes at the environmental
expense of its neighbors Just two years ago a small sandbar could be seen jutting out of the narrow straits separating Singapore
and Malaysia's Johor.
Then the barges came, disgorging tons of
sand, the beginning of a $60 billion, 20-year
Malaysian development of four man-made
islands designed for 700,000 residents and
25,000 workers, called Forest City. Singa-
pore's leaders were not happy to see the
rapidly expanding mound moving ever clos-
er to its shores, despite the fact that their
own city-state is one of the world's largest
importers of sand for land reclamation.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong requested
that the Malaysian government order the
developers to halt the work, even though
most of the sand was coming from a shoal
in Malaysia's waters, pending the resolution
of sovereignty and environmental issues.
Singapore, already more than 22 per cent
bigger in land size than it was as a British colonial backwater in the 1950s, is meanwhile pushing ahead
with plans to import titanic amounts of sand to artificially expand its territory by 6200 hectares by 2030,
prompting fears of environmental disaster on a swathe of tropical islands. More...
**********
China Vows to Improve Yangtze Water Quality
China vowed to improve the water quality of the Yangtze River as part of wider measures to balance
economic activities and environmental protection along the world's third longest river.
In the years leading to 2020, China will work to ensure that over 75 percent of water in the Yangtze
economic belt at least meets the Grade III standard, according to the National Development and Reform
Commission (NDRC), the top economic planning agency.
China classifies water quality into six levels, from level I, which is suitable for drinking after minimal treat-
ment, to level VI, which is severely contaminated.
The NDRC said China aims to make over 97 percent of the water from drinking water sources along
the Yangtze belt Grade III before 2020. Source: Xinhua
riparian states and a
source of potential conflict
for the entire Greater
Mekong Subregion -- en-
compassing Cambodia,
China, Laos, Myanmar,
Thailand and Vietnam.
That risk has manifested
itself in an inchoate fashion
through the annual dry
seasons, when about 60
million people in fishing
villages and communities
along the Mekong are
severely affected. But any
protest has been silenced
by geopolitical realities.
China is essentially the giant neighbor ensconced
at the river mouth. It can
block the Mekong water-
ways at will. To date, it
has completed six of 15
planned dams along the
Mekong. The governments
of countries in the lower
basin, particularly those of
Cambodia and Vietnam,
are either too beholden to
or dependent on Beijing's
generosity and policy deci-
sions to cry foul too vocal-
ly. To be sure, Laos is the
midstream country that
has been constructing its
own dams, largely financed
by Thailand, which in turn
buys the resultant hydro-
power. The Mekong dams
are thus a mixed proposi-
tion, not simply represent-
ing China's imposition of
unilateral leverage and
power over the rest.
Yet with communist Laos'
increasing dependence on
China's purse strings for
development needs, and
the Thai military govern-
ment's overt pro-Beijing
posture, the uppermost --
and most powerful -- Me-
kong country has become
a regional patron of sorts.
Cambodia is also increas-
ingly depending on China
for development aid and foreign investment more...
Why Asia should worry about Zika too
It could be the plot of a dystopian thriller: the sudden outbreak of a disease that spreads almost invisibly,
for which there is no cure and no vaccination, but which is linked to horrific deformity in babies and may
cause some adults' immune defences to attack their own nervous systems.
But Zika is no fiction. The spread of the disease across the Americas is being described as an "explosive
pandemic" and now Asia is on alert.
India has already started testing for the virus among its 1.3 billion population. And it will be no surprise if
it is found, because India has a surprisingly long history of Zika infection. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus
which has recently been linked to shrunken brains in children and a rare auto-immune disease called
Guillain-Barre syndrome. Scientists who have been studying the outbreak in the Americas say a couple
of million people have almost certainly been infected. The virus has been detected in 23 countries in the
region and now threatens to spill into the US. More...
*************
Record global haul' of illicit
food and drink
More than 10,000 tons of illicit food and
drink, including monkey meat, have been
seized as part of the biggest-ever global
crackdown on such goods. The three-
month operation involved police forces in
57 countries, European police agency Eu-
ropol said. The raids uncovered enough
fake alcohol to fill 12,000 baths, including
10,000 liters of adulterated liquor in the
UK. Italian officers found 85 tons of olives
painted with copper sulphate to enhance
their green color. The Europol-Interpol
initiative, now in its fifth year, yielded the
largest-ever haul, running from November 2015 until February 2016. Other notable elements of the
operation included:
70kg of chicken intestines preserved in formaldehyde, which is prohibited as a food additive, being
found in Indonesia
Police in Thailand uncovering an illicit network importing illegal meat from India and destroying
more than 30 tons unfit for human consumption destined for supermarkets
South Korean police arresting a man suspected of smuggling diet supplements that were being sold
online as a natural product but containing harmful ingredients More...
REO Highlights page 4
China’s Rosewood Consumption Boom
As the U.S., EU, and Australia implement laws prohibiting the import of illegal wood products, all eyes are on China to see if the world’s larg-
est consumer and processor of timber will play its part. Until the Chinese government adopts binding regulation to stop inflows of illegal wood
products (or a due diligence system that importers can easily follow), critics fear that Western countries’ move to embrace legality as the
norm will simply move the illicit materials in larger numbers across China’s borders – a process known commonly as “leakage.” But the Con-
vention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement formed in the 1960s to
regulate the international wildlife trade, may provide a solution for select rosewood species during its Standing Committee meeting this week
in Geneva.
Consumer preference for wood products in China coincides with a cultural shift back to a classical décor aesthetic, first popularized in the
Ming and Qing dynasty eras but not seen since the Communist takeover. Demand for luxury furniture made of rosewood, or hongmu (a sub-
set of tree species known for their deep-red hues) has soared among China’s burgeoning middle class at an unprecedented rate, particularly
since 2010. A Forest Trends survey of consumer purchasing preferences in 2015 revealed that almost half of respondents had either purchased
or were considering purchasing rosewood
products, citing their physical attributes, cultural
importance, and scarcity as desirable factors.
The reemergence of hongmu as a symbol of
economic status and cultural importance pre-
sents new problems far beyond China’s bor-ders, now that domestic stocks of rosewood
are long gone. Rosewood demand is driving
illegal and unsustainable logging on an alarming
scale in some of the world’s most endangered
forests in Southeast Asia and, increasingly, Afri-
ca and Latin America. Not only is China the top
market for rosewood imports; it’s also by far
the biggest consumer – Forest Trends’ data
show that more than 99 percent of all rose-
wood imports stay in the country for pro-
cessing and eventual consumption. More...
REO Highlights page 5
REO Highlights page 6
USG GRANTEE ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS: WCS
Strengthening Wildlife Conservation and Monitoring between Thailand and Myanmar :
WCS, Thailand
The Thai government has given a high
priority on improving protection and
management, the Western Forest Com-
plex (WEFCOM) of Thailand stands out
as a potential long-term conservation
site for large and globally endangered
species such as tigers and elephants.
WEFCOM covers over 18,000 square
kilometers. The Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS, New York), under the
support from US State Department, US
Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological
Survey, and various other US-based
private donors, has been working close-
ly with the Thai government to support
wildlife population recovery efforts in
WEFCOM, and specifically in Huai Kha
Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, for a decade.
The tiger and wildlife conservation in
Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (HKK), after a decade of a collaboration between WCS and the Thai Department of
National Parks (DNP), created a successful conservation and management models and skills ready to transfer to neighbor-
ing countries, including the SMART patrol system and the
wildlife population monitoring system. In Myanmar, WCS
Myanmar has played a key role in assisting the Myanmar gov-
ernment to establish and strengthen protected areas. The
main activities conducted for many years include training
rangers, and monitoring tigers and other globally threatened
species.
The idea of organizing the training workshop on
"Strengthening wildlife conservation and monitoring between
Thailand and Myanmar" originated from key conservation
developments in this region, often funded through the US
Embassy's East Asia Regional Environmental (REO) Hub. The most recent workshop transferred the knowledge from
tiger and wildlife conservation in WEFCOM to Myanmar's
Forest Department officers, DNP officers, and partners of
tiger and wildlife conservation in WEFCOM. It also gave 40
Thai and Myanmar wildlife officers and researchers a chance
to network. The subjects include the theories and field prac-
tices of focused monitoring techniques for assessments of
tiger and prey populations at the large landscape and site lev-
els. The specific techniques include the occupancy survey,
camera trapping, and line transect sampling. The evaluation at
the end of the workshop showed approximately 90% of satis-
faction on workshop context and applicability for their every-
day job. The field trip to the high point on the Thailand and
Myanmar border looking over the Taninthayi Region of Myan-
mar has tightened the personal and professional relationships
between the participants from both sides.
REO Highlights page 7
USG GRANTEE ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS: VIETNAM
In February, the REO and local ESTH Officers visited
several small grant recipients in Vietnam. The REO Hub
runs several small grant competitions yearly for the East
Asia and Lower Mekong areas. While grant sizes are
small, usually $25,000 or less, the impacts can be enor-
mous - especially for the local populations. The North-
west Cooperation Development Center (NCDC) is one
such recipient, working to improve forest governance
livelihood for climate sustainability and in the poor eth-
nic minority community of Chieng Hac, Son La Province.
NCDC recently completed a survey of the conditions in
the community and are working with the village, includ-
ing party members, to establish a task force and develop-
ment plan. The village is suffering from deforestation
and the over use of fertilizers. This, combined with the
effects of climate change, are resulting in harder soil that
is more prone to mudslides, increased flash flooding,
decreased water quality, periods of drought, and de-
creasing harvests. Villagers are interested in replanting the forests with fruit trees and possibly bamboo and turning to
animal husbandry to allow the trees time to
grow. The villagers and commune are taking a
long-term approach to these solutions which,
while slower to show economic gains, will help
make them more sustainable.
Another grantee, the Center for Environment
and Community Assets Development
(CECAD), has been working with the Hoa Binh
Provincial People's Committee, Lac Son district
People's Committee and Tu Do Commune
People's Committee to conserve critically
threatened orchids species through conserva-
tions measures and the development of orchid
plantations. These communities border, and
are sometimes surrounded by, protected areas.
However, due to the size of the park, the ter-
rain, and lack of park staff they cannot be controlled by
rangers alone. Again, utilizing the local population to
better protect their natural resources while gaining
economic benefit is making for a successful program
and local party officials are very interested in expanding
this program further.
REO Highlights page 8
Ambassador Osius visits Pangolin and
Primate Centers to spread awareness
of wildlife trafficking
On January 24, Ambassador Osius made the first stop on
his “new journey” Hanoi-to-Hue bike outreach program at
Vietnam’s oldest national park, Cuc Phuong (est.
1962). There he visited its Endangered Primate Rescue
Center and its Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Cen-
ter to learn more about Vietnam’s endangered wildlife and
promote local efforts underway to save it. Cuc Phuong is
home to an amazing diversity of flora and fauna and a num-
ber of species in the park are listed on Vietnam Red Book
of endangered. [Source: ESTH/Vietnam]
**********
U.S. Consulate, Chiang Mai Joins “Breath of Fresh
Air” Grantee for Biochar Training
On January 26, the Consulate joined nearly 80 community leaders, govern-
ment representatives from three districts of Chiang Mai, and students from
four universities for a full-day biochar training led by Warm Heart World-
wide in Prao. The project is sponsored by the Consulate’s Breath of Fresh
Air grant and Chiang Mai province. Deputy Governor Puttipong Srimath
requested the biochar training as it is a practical solution to Chiang Mai’s
burning season, which causes health problems, depresses tourism, and frus-
trates the public from February to April each year. Participants learned
about the benefits of biochar compared to regular burning, observed the
assembly of a biochar furnace and burning demonstration, and discussed
practical ways to promote biochar facilitation through private sector eco-
nomic incentives. Warm Heart also conducted an additional training for more than 100 Prao villagers.
************** Ambassador Davies Stresses Environ-
mental Protection and Education in
Chiang Rai
On February 10-11, Ambassador and Mrs. Davies, joined
by Consul General Heath, visited Chiang Rai province to
discuss the importance of protecting the environment and
to promote U.S. educational opportunities to students at
Chiang Rai Rajabhat University. The delegation also visited
Hae Ko Village in Doi Mae Salong to observe a USAID
agricultural and livestock sustainability project to assist Lisu
hilltribe villagers coping with the effects of drought and
climate change.
REO Highlights page 9
MEKONG NEWS
Climate change, dams and risk on the Mekong From Global Risks Insights: Climate change is threat-
ening the economic and political future of the Mekong
region. Excessive dam building is accelerating these
risks. Failure to act will significantly impact growth in
the region. In China, it was believed that the changes
to rivers predicted the rise and fall of dynasties. It’s a
belief that became so ingrained, Emperors sacrificed
vast resources to control rivers in the hope of staving
off war or revolution. Similarly, governments in the
Mekong are now attempting to harness the river’s
power. The river serves the livelihoods of over 60
million people – if its ecological impact is important,
its economic and political impact is unmeasured.
The effect of climate change on the Mekong River is a
huge cause for concern. The six countries along the
river set up the Mekong River Commission in 1995
hoping that it would lead to shared and sustainable
management of the river’s resources. The commission
has made some progress, but any effort to mitigate
climate change is useless without addressing the unre-
lenting dam building occurring throughout region. The
problem is that the Mekong countries saw dams as a
‘clean’ way to produce energy for their growing econ-
omies. While being cleaner than traditional sources of
energy, dams also produce severe environmental im-
pacts. These include preventing essential sediments
and the migration of fish downstream, droughts from
the reduction of freshwater and increased salinity in
farming areas.
International impacts:
There are around 11 dams being planned or already under construction on the Mekong. As a result, the effects of climate
change have been exacerbated, causing a huge increase in political risk. Droughts throughout the Greater Mekong Subregion
have increased in frequency and intensity over the last few years affecting food production, livelihoods and politics. Last year’s
drought in northern Thailand put heavy pressure on the government to compensate farmers, while Laos’ ongoing construction
of the Xayaburi dam has ignited tensions between Hanoi and Vientiane. Consequently, many experts have pointed towards and
are predicting a significant drop in rice production in the Mekong region as a direct consequence of climate change. Thailand
and Vietnam are two of the largest rice producers and exporters in the world – any decrease in their production bears a huge
impact on the international economy. While this evidently affects the global trade of rice, the international political impact of
the changes around the Mekong River cannot be understated. More...
REO Highlights page 10
NEWS ITEMS OF INTEREST
EPA Acting A/A McCabe Discusses Air Pollution, Climate Change Regulations
Janet McCabe, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, spoke to
a large Chinese audience on March 1 at the Beijing American Center about U.S. air and water pollution regulations. McCabe detailed cooper-
ation between the United States and China to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions. Air pollution is a topic of acute interest in
China, and this program allowed an audience which included environmental studies students and lawyers, to learn about how, through scien-
tific data collection and collaboration with private sector partners, the EPA has implemented landmark legislation such as the Clean Air Act to
significantly improve air quality in America. (ESTH/Beijing)
Vietnamese-made satellite to enter space in 2018
Japanese solid-fuel rocket Epsilon will launch a Vietnamese-made satellite into orbit in 2018, according to the Vietnam National Satellite Cen-
ter. The MicroDragon satellite weighing 50 kilograms will be developed by the center's engineers with support from Japanese professors from
five universities. The main objectives of MicroDragon are ocean color observations to evaluate water quality, locating aquatic resources and
monitoring changes in coastal areas for aquaculture development in Vietnam. [Thanhnien]
Ulaanbaatar Steps-Up Its Air Pollution Education in Schools Targeting the city’s most vulnerable inhabitants, Ulaanbaatar’s Air Quality Agency is taking its city-wide air pollution monitoring program into
the schools. Ms. Nasanjargal, an air quality specialist with the agency, told post the city is working on a pilot project with the Japanese Interna-
tional Cooperation Agency (JICA) to install video screens displaying the city’s real-time, color-coded air quality index (AQI) at five
schools. She said the agency will also be working with local health organizations and UNICEF throughout April to educate teachers and stu-
dents about the AQI, the harmful effects of air pollution, and how kids can protect their health. An international research conference in Janu-
ary also organized by UNICEF reported that Acute Lower Respiratory Infection, specifically pneumonia, is one of the leading causes of under-
five child mortality in Mongolia (accounting for 15 per cent) and children living in a highly polluted districts of Ulaanbaatar were found to have
50 percent lower lung function than children living in rural areas . [Ulaanbaatar Economic Weekly News].
China's rising sea level rate doubles global average The rate of rising sea levels is being accelerated around the world. China is suffering its worst effects, said Qin Dahe, a geographer at the Chi-
nese Academy of Sciences. Qin is also a member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee, China's top advisory body.
Qin has suggested that government should take actions to deal with risks as China's sea level is rising much faster than global average. Annual
rise of China's sea levels was 3mm between 1980 and 2014, much higher than the global number of 1.7mm. Cities have been taking increasing
risks in terms of flood prevention and water-logging control and water supply systems, with the rise in sea levels. Measures like setting up
bulwarks are far from an adequate solution. In the process of city planning and major infrastructure parameter design, it is necessary to take
the effects of climate change into consideration, said Qin. More...
World Bank refuses to fund coal power
The World Bank Group (WBG) says it will not give any financial assistance to coal-fired power plant projects in spite of Myanmar’s increasing
need for electricity. Abdoulaye Seck, the WBG’s country manager for Myanmar, explained that he understood the country was in need of
electricity and had sketched a master plan for powering Myanmar but the WBG had no desire to give any financial aid to coal-fuel power sta-
tions. Myo Myint, an energy expert at the WBG, said: “There is still potential for hydropower and gas reserves left untapped. More...