VZCZCXRO1004
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #0596/01 0821927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231927Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4924
INFO RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 3882
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 5396
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 4445
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA 2900
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO 1755
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 3650
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 5303
RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1029
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 6129
RUEHPO/AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO 1057
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3164
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 4511
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 6621
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 1756
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DOE WASHDC
RUEHC/DOI WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DOJ WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEANAT/NASA WASHDC
RUCPDC/NOAA WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHRC/USDA WASHDC
RUCPDO/USDOC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 000596 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USAID TO LAC/RSD, LAC/SAM, G/ENV, PPC/ENV TREASURY FOR 
USED IBRD AND IDB AND INTL/MDB USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE: LMayhew 
INTERIOR FOR DIR INT AFFAIRS: KWASHBURN INTERIOR FOR FWS: TRILEY 
INTERIOR PASS USGS FOR INTERNATIONAL: JWEAVER JUSTICE FOR 
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES: JWEBB EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL: CAM 
HILL-MACON, SJOHNSON, JAYRES USDA FOR ARS/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH: 
GFLANLEY NSF FOR INTERNATIONAL: HSTOLBERG 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY -- ADDRESSEE REMOVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAGR EAID TBIO ECON SOCI XR BO BR
SUBJECT: LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES DISCUSS URBAN AIR QUALITY IN 
COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA 
 
BRASILIA 00000596  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
The Universidad Catolica Boliviana hosted the 1st Bolivian Congress 
on Urban Air Quality Management March 16-18 in Cochabamba, Bolivia. 
The event was attended by students, environmentalists, scientists, 
academics, and international consultants from several Latin American 
countries.  Air pollution is a general concern for Latin American 
cities, yet most countries lack the funding and political will to 
implement urban air pollution mitigation measures.  Post believes 
EPA's increasing support in training and exchanging information with 
these countries would be of great value.  End summary. 
 
--------- 
The Event 
--------- 
 
¶1.  The 1st Bolivian Congress on Urban Air Quality Management, held 
in Cochabamba March 16-18, brought together students, 
environmentalists, scientists, academics, and international 
consultants from several Latin American countries (Argentina, 
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Cuba, Mexico, and Chile). 
The meeting was an opportunity for countries to exchange 
information, know-how, and experiences on air quality management in 
urban areas. 
 
¶2.  One of the event's main objectives was to raise awareness of 
environmental authorities and municipal, state, and national 
governments about the need to develop regional and national systems 
to manage air quality in urban areas.  Important themes discussed 
included monitoring of atmospheric contamination, inventories of 
pollutant emissions, contaminant diffusion and dispersion models, 
atmospheric contamination prediction models, evaluation of health 
and environmental impacts, and strategies and plans of action for 
emission reduction, norms, and indicators. 
 
------------------------ 
The Situation in Bolivia 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  Although Bolivia does not currently have high levels of urban 
air pollution, increasing car emissions may result in a decline in 
air quality. According to the World Bank, 70 percent of Bolivia's 
air contamination comes from vehicles, only a third of which pass 
emissions tests.  With fifty percent of the country's population 
living in urban areas and the size of Bolivia's car fleet increasing 
dramatically, this represents a source of growing concern. Thus, it 
is necessary to develop qualified human resources and legal and 
technical experts in order to effectively manage air quality. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Current Regional Efforts and Levels of Expertise 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶4.  One of the main sponsors of the event was Swisscontact, a Swiss 
non-governmental organization involved in development cooperation 
 
BRASILIA 00000596  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
(www.swisscontact.org).  Swisscontact has worked with air quality 
control in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Their work in South America 
is carried out through the Swiss Agency for Development and 
Cooperation (COSUDE). 
 
¶5.  Several countries sent delegations with substantial individual 
and institutional knowledge. Ecuador sent three representatives from 
a non-governmental organization specializing in urban air quality 
control, CORPAIRE (www.corpaire.org). The NGO's experts demonstrated 
an advanced level of preparedness in the issue.  Representatives 
from Mexico and Chile were by far the most knowledgeable and 
experienced at the event. 
 
¶6.  Bolivia, on the other hand, is probably the country in most need 
of technical capacity-building. Many researchers and students from 
universities in La Paz and Cochabamba were present and demonstrated 
interest in learning from neighboring countries. However, local 
environmental authorities were not present at the event, which 
demonstrated a lack of political interest in the topic (a comment 
made by the event organizers themselves). 
 
---------- 
Conclusion 
---------- 
 
¶7.  A Swisscontact representative commented, during the opening of 
the event, that within the past ten years, Latin Americans have been 
able to build up enough expertise in air quality issues to "walk on 
their own feet."   Despite the scarcity of financial and human 
resources, most countries seem to have a good grasp of the direction 
they are heading with respect to air quality control.  However, 
according to an expert from Arequipa (Peru), Latin American 
countries would benefit from U.S. training in air quality 
management.  In fact, EPA methods and information were broadly used 
by several speakers.  To the majority, EPA is a worldwide reference 
for air quality standards and technical expertise. 
 
¶8.  Although these countries have a broad knowledge at a policy and 
scientific level, few are able to actually implement urban air 
pollution mitigation measures due to a lack of funding and political 
will. Even though the event was a unique opportunity for Latin 
American countries to compare notes on urban air quality management, 
it did not reach its objective in trying to sensitize and energize 
governmental entities to focus on the issue with urgency.  Post 
believes it would be beneficial to either arrange a Voluntary 
Visitors program for South American air quality experts or to carry 
out EPA-led training sessions in countries such as Bolivia and Peru. 
 An opportunity will present itself next year to work with these 
countries, as Colombia announced that it will be hosting a similar 
event March 14-16, 2007, at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. 
 
LINEHAN