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

REOBangkok@state.gov

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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...