VZCZCXRO3719
PP RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #1292/01 1791742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281742Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5910
INFO RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 2354
RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 7303
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 5023

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 001292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE TO OES/PCI FOR LKAMAKURA/LSPERLING 
STATE TO OES/ENV FOR DBROWN/JMATUSZAK 
STATE TO OES/ETC FOR SCASWELL/DGRIER/RWATSON 
STATE TO WHA/BSC FOR WPOPP 
STATE TO OES/STC FOR GDRAGNICH 
STATE TO G FOR KLORD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TBIO KSCA BR
SUBJECT:  BRAZIL'S MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT PROPOSES SWEEPING NEW 
BILATERAL ENV TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.   Brazil's Ministry of the Environment (MMA) has expressed its 
willingness to establish a new level of bilateral technical 
assistance programs in five general environment-related areas: park 
management; wetlands protection, chemicals; water systems management 
and illegal trafficking in wildlife.  MMA has expressed a preference 
for a government-to-government collaboration meaning the Department 
would help coordinate support directly from U.S. government 
agencies.  The Ministry is proposing that the collaborations be 
governed by a MOU or similar instrument and would be signed by 
Minister for the Environment Marina Silva and her Washington 
counterpart.  Post requests the Department's guidance on the type of 
agreement recommended, and concurrence on proposed steps to 
coordinate the technical assistance programs. 
 
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Expanded Technical Assistance for Environmental Programs 
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¶2.   Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva, in a marked 
departure from the attitude of previous administrations, has 
indicated her willingness to work with the Embassy Brasilia ESTH 
office to establish technical assistance programs allowing U.S. 
experts to work throughout Brazil with their counterparts in a wide 
range of environment and law enforcement-related initiatives.  The 
subject areas include: the establishment and management of parks in 
protected areas; wetlands protection; chemicals control; water 
systems management and illegal trafficking in wildlife.  Over the 
last few weeks, the Embassy Brasilia ESTH Counselor and Officer have 
been working with members of Minister Silva's staff at the Ministry 
for the Environment (MMA) to ascertain the scope of activities being 
requested.  A broad outline follows. 
 
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Establishment and Management of Parks in Protected Areas 
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¶3.  Environment Minister Marina Silva has established her place in 
history as Brazil's most effective protector of the Amazon.  Since 
she became Minister in 2003, she has placed 19 million hectares of 
forest under protection, with 8 million more in the pipeline, which 
represents one third of total protected lands in Brazil.  She 
successfully passed what is widely considered her legacy legislation 
that introduces systems for controlled logging and lays the 
framework for Brazil's first Forest Service.  Minister Silva, who 
has in the past expressed her admiration for the U.S. park system, 
has stated that putting land under protection is just the first 
step, next a system must be created that will encourage a 
relationship between society and the forests.  At present, 
Brazilians rarely visit the protected areas.  The United States, she 
said, has found a way to welcome the public onto protected lands and 
generate needed funds to sustain the areas for future generations. 
 
¶4. The Ministry vision of technical assistance spans from beginning 
to end.  Specific areas mentioned were facilities design, road 
design, construction, maintenance, park operations, transportation, 
education, concessions management (hotels, restaurants, activities, 
etc.) and law enforcement issues.  The MMA pointed to Yosemite and 
Yellowstone as examples par-excellence of what they would like to 
achieve. 
 
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Wetland Protection 
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¶5.  The MMA also wants to establish a strong program for wetland 
protection throughout the country.  Brazil is in the process of 
creating a national wetland strategy and would like to discuss 
experiences and best practices.  They noted that the U.S. system of 
classifying wetlands has been adopted by RAMSAR.  The MMA would like 
to better understand the science and apply it to Brazilian wetlands 
in order to provide site-specific goals and protective mechanisms. 
Expanding on the idea, it was noted that there exists overlap and 
the potential to incorporate these ideas in marine protection and 
water resource endeavors as well. 
 
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Chemicals 
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¶6.  The Ministry is working on a Strategic Plan for Chemicals and 
has listed numerous areas for possible collaboration.  MMA indicated 
that it already possesses what it believes to be advanced domestic 
 
BRASILIA 00001292  002 OF 003 
 
 
chemical policies/legislation, but seeks greater expertise in the 
general areas of market controls, safety and waste removal and 
regional chemical management.  Also mentioned was coordination of 
emissions control efforts and technologies and the creation of an 
infrastructure to augment its capacity to manage and assess 
environmental risks associated with chemical pollutants.  Work of 
this kind has already begun on a limited scale with the effects of 
mercury poisoning on the Amazon environment.  Additional topics 
mentioned were assistance in developing and implementing a Brazilian 
PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) and an examination of 
the environmental effects of agrotoxins, dioxins and furins. 
 
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Water Management 
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¶7.  Oversight of Brazil's water resources belongs to both the MMA, 
which develops water policy, and the National Water Agency's (ANA), 
the implementing agency. Brazil is in the fledgling stages of 
implementing an Integrated Water Resource Management Plan for the 
entire country.  It is the first endeavor of its kind in Latin 
America and would like to work with U.S. agencies with expertise in 
this area. Elements of water management that most interest them are 
federal vs state responsibilities; the economic structure in the 
United States for water management/delivery and monitoring systems 
to maintain water quality.  The Brazilians have already had 
conversations regarding technical assistance with General Strock, 
Chief Engineer for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.  General 
Strock's planned visit to Brazil this August has apparently been 
postponed, Post would support it being rescheduled. 
 
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Anti-Trafficking in Wildlife 
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¶8.  The Mission already has a rich history of bilateral cooperation 
in anti-trafficking in wildlife efforts primarily in the training of 
Brazilian law enforcement officials by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, an 
initiative funded by the Missions Narcotics Affairs Section.  MMA 
has learned from this training, and now wants to move a step beyond 
by suggesting a more formal system of law enforcement cooperation 
and information exchange.  MMA would like to establish ways to aid 
U.S. customs agents/inspectors at U.S. entry points in identifying 
illegal cargo at U.S. airports.  As examples, they suggested 
training courses, the production of a guidebook in English 
differentiating legal from illegal objects, and/or a free hotline 
allowing rapid access to Brazilian authorities when confirmation is 
needed. 
 
¶9.  MMA also expressed a desire to set up forensic laboratories for 
identifying the source of animals in transit, noting that the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife team highlighted these laboratories as an 
essential component of effective enforcement.  U.S. expertise would 
be needed in both establishing and training functionaries for the 
laboratories. 
 
¶10.  MMA would also like to open talks on repatriation of U.S. 
species found illegally in Brazil, noting that many arrive via the 
border with Paraguay. 
 
¶11.  Finally, MMA is anxious to establish training so that customs 
inspectors on both sides of the border which be familiar with each 
other's laws. 
 
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Next Steps 
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¶12.  Post is fully aware that the development of technical 
cooperation programs of this magnitude will be a tremendous 
undertaking.  We are also aware that greater detail will be required 
in order for the Washington agencies to determine which agency has 
the needed expertise and if collaboration is possible.  As a way 
forward, Post is suggesting a series of DVC's, to be coordinated by 
the Department, to allow the Brazilian Ministry of Environment 
technical section chiefs to detail their requests for assistance to 
U.S. technical agencies.  Subsequent TDY visits may also be 
requested.  Post is seeking Bureau support in organizing these DVCs. 
 
 
¶13.  Post is also seeking guidance from L/OES as to the type of 
instrument that should be negotiated for this initiative.  The 
Ministry has suggested an MOU or similar government-to-government 
instrument to be signed by Minister for the Environment Marina 
Silva. 
 
 
BRASILIA 00001292  003 OF 003 
 
 
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Comment 
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¶14.  Post is anxious to move forward to take advantage of this 
window of opportunity.  This opening by the Brazilians to reach out 
to develop closer ties through initiatives that will strength the 
infrastructure of their country can have significant positive long 
term benefits for the United States, not the least of which is the 
development of shared standards.  Their request for closer 
cooperation on border inspections directly supports a key mission 
priority. Post awaits guidance. 
 
CHICOLA