VZCZCXRO5779
RR RUEHRG
DE RUEHBR #2084/01 3051939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011939Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0348
RUEHUP/AMEMBASSY BUDAPEST 0174
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1113
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5369
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7322

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRASILIA 002084 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/PCI - LARRY SPERLING, FRANCES COLON AND AARON SALZBERG 
DEPT FOR OES/STC - LESLIE BLANCAS 
DEPT PASS TO USGS - JEAN WEAVER 
DEPT PASS TO U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, VICKSBURG - STEVE 
COLLINGWORTH AND CARY TALBOT 
DEPT PASS TO SOUTHCOM - MARCELO SALLES 
BUDAPEST FOR SAM KOTIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KSCA BR
SUBJECT:  BRAZIL:  TRAINING BY USG EXPERTS BRINGS TO LIFE PROMISE OF 
COOPERATION IN AREA OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT 
 
REF:  2006 BRASILIA 2286 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  Seminars put on in mid-October by U.S. water 
resource management experts have served to implement recommendations 
developed by the bilateral water technical working group created 
under the Common Agenda for the Environment (CAE).  On October 9-12, 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) Research Hydraulic Engineer Cary 
Talbot led a well-received seminar in Brasilia on advance techniques 
in modeling of water resources with Brazilian counterparts; while in 
Rio de Janeiro October 15-19, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 
hydrologist Arthur Horowitz presented a seminar on water quality and 
sediment monitoring to state and local authorities.  The Brazilian 
technical experts were very receptive and sought additional 
technical cooperation.  Particularly noteworthy is that the Ministry 
of Exterior Relations (MRE), which oversees the CAE process for 
Brazil, was briefed about and pleased with this technical 
cooperation, even going so far as to send officials to attend the 
all-day Brasilia seminar.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The USG and the Government of Brazil (GOB) decided at the 
December 13, 2006 Common Agenda for the Environment (CAE) meeting 
(REFTEL) to establish working groups to advance technical 
cooperation.  A water technical working group was created and at a 
July 2007 digital video conference USG and GOB technical experts 
identified priority areas of interest for possible cooperation. 
Based on those priorities, the State Department located and funded 
two USG technical experts to go to Brazil and provide training for 
Brazilian counterparts on water resource management.  Beforehand, 
the Embassy's Environment, Science, Technology and Health (ESTH) 
Counselor and ESTH Officer briefed the Ministry of Exterior 
Relations' (MRE) Chief of the Division on the Environment Counselor 
Fernando Coimbra and his staff about the upcoming visits and invited 
their support and participation.  Coimbra appreciated the technical 
assistance and the advance notice.  He sent two of his officers - 
Pedro Cabral de Andrade and Maite de Souza Schmitz- to attend the 
seminar in Brasilia, who indicated to ESTH Officer that they were 
pleased with the technical assistance provided. 
 
USACE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) At the July digital video conference, the GOB identified 
groundwater modeling as a priority area for possible technical 
cooperation.  Accordingly, OES arranged for U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineer (USACE) Research Hydraulic Engineer Cary Talbot to go to 
Brasilia, October 9-12.  A highlight of Talbot's trip was the 
October 10 technical level groundwater modeling seminar hosted by 
Brazil's national water authority (ANA - Agencia Nacional das Aguas) 
where Talbot demonstrated computer groundwater modeling software 
used by the USACE.  Seminar participants expressed strong interest 
in receiving training for the software with an eye toward future 
collaborative water management projects, including implementation of 
Brazil's national water resource management plan. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Talbot met with Brazilian groundwater modeling experts and 
presented his experience and in depth knowledge of the capabilities 
and application of the Department of Defense Groundwater Modeling 
System (GMS) software during the seminar hosted by ANA.  The seminar 
was well-received and attended by upwards of 25 GOB officials from 
ANA, the Ministry of Environment (MMA), and from MRE. 
 
¶6.  (U) Seminar discussions identified several areas for potential 
future collaboration with USACE, including: 1) groundwater modeling; 
2) hydrologic modeling; and 3) reservoir operations and multiple use 
applications.  Participants said that they would benefit from 
training on the GMS software and thought that it would be useful in 
the implementation of Brazil's national water resources management 
plan.  (NOTE: Talbot explained that so long as USACE and the GOB are 
working collaboratively on a specific project, the GOB should be use 
the software without any proprietary limitations. END NOTE). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In addition to participation in the seminar, Talbot also 
reached out to state level water experts and enrolled the assistance 
of SOUTHCOM to support future collaboration between USACE and the 
GOB.  During a meeting at the embassy's Military Liaison Office, COL 
Mitch Butikofer pointed out that Talbot's visit reinforced the visit 
the week before by USACE Chief Van Antwerp (SEPTEL) and that 
 
BRASILIA 00002084  002 OF 003 
 
 
SOUTHCOM may be able to provide financial assistance to support the 
Corps' interest in technical level cooperation and exchange.  Talbot 
also met with Diaogenes Mortari, the Superintendent of Grants of the 
Federal District of Brazil Water Authority (ADASA) and two of his 
staff to discuss groundwater modeling.  (NOTE: Under current 
Brazilian law, groundwater resources are within the jurisdiction of 
the individual states of which the Federal District is in similar 
fashion to the District of Columbia in the United States.  Even so, 
individual states follow the lead of ANA with regard to the approach 
and tools used in groundwater projects. END NOTE).  Mortari 
expressed interest in learning more about the use of GMS for their 
groundwater projects. 
 
USGS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
 
¶8.  (U) The July video conference also identified water quality and 
sediment monitoring as a priority area for technical cooperation. 
To this end, OES sent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) hydrologist 
Arthur Horowitz to Rio de Janeiro October 15-19 to present a seminar 
on water quality and sediment monitoring to state and local 
authorities.  The seminar was hosted by the Brazilian Geological 
Survey, known as CPRM (Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Mine - 
Mineral Research Company) and attended by government, university, 
and private sector (consultancy and power generation companies) 
representatives.  Discussions included potential cooperation between 
CPRM and USGS in the areas of training and technical assistance. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Horowitz suggested that the cooperative projects for 
technology transfer and exchange of experiences could be developed 
on a peer to peer basis between the individuals involved with these 
issues at both organizations.  (NOTE: USGS' collaboration with 
Brazilian interlocutors is not new.  USGS has been collaborating 
with the Institute of Hydraulic Research at the Federal University 
of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) since 2004.  Moreover, USGS has also 
presented at two seminars hosted by UFRGS, one March 19-25 2006 and 
the other November 13-17, 2006.  Both seminars also focused on water 
quality and sediment monitoring. END NOTE). 
 
¶10.  (SBU) CPRM representatives indicated that they are interested 
in collaboration with USGS in the following areas: 1) fluvial 
sediment analysis; 2) water and sediment laboratory 
quality-assurance; 3) non-point source water pollution assessment; 
4) design and planning the operation of monitoring networks; 5) use 
of equipment (ADCP, HADCP), techniques (remote sensing) and software 
applied to hydrologic measurements; 6) flood and drought 
forecasting; 7) modeling ground-water flow; 8) digital geographic 
data-base oriented to water resources assessment; and 9) research on 
physical processes controlling the distribution and quality of 
surface-water.  CPRM is also interested in obtaining and using 
modernized sampling/measuring equipment. 
 
NEXT STEPS 
 
¶11.  (SBU) ANA and MMA officials are interested in pursuing 
collaboration with USACE and to adopting USACE tools, standards and 
practices in groundwater modeling.  Post understands that Talbot 
plans to recommend to USACE that formal collaboration be pursued 
with the ANA as part of USACE's mission and goals for international 
affairs.  In addition, ANA, USACE and Post will jointly develop a 
post-exchange report identifying possible concrete next steps for 
formalizing the cooperation.  At this point, it looks as though the 
first step of collaboration may be a technical training course in 
Brazil on the application of the GMS software to be administered by 
USACE (with possible MLO funding for travel/per diem costs). 
 
¶12.  (SBU) CPRM and USGS agreed that collaborative work could start 
immediately, after finding the corresponding researchers in the USGS 
in each area of mutual interest. 
CPRM and USGS representatives also agreed that any future technical 
cooperation should be formalized under the existing Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) between USGS and CPRM (1997).  Post understands 
that USGS and CPRM will discuss this latter possibility with agency 
management and also seek out appropriate agency researchers.  In the 
meantime, communication between USGS, CPRM and UFRGS will continue 
and Post stands ready to assist as necessary. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) Post will also continue to inform MRE on these 
collaborative efforts as they relate to our bilateral relations 
under the Common Agenda for the Environment. 
 
BRASILIA 00002084  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶14.  (SBU) This set of seminars brings to life the vision that the 
USG and GOB agreed to at the 2006 CAE of technical working groups 
developing priorities and planning for cooperation, with the State 
Department and the MRE stepping back and playing a supportive role. 
These visits successfully jump-started CAE technical level 
cooperation in the area of groundwater management.  Post will now 
work with ANA, MMA, MRE, CPRM, OES and USG technical agencies 
(USACE, USGS and others) to further technical cooperation in this 
important area.  Post sees good prospects for additional, focused 
technical assistance in the area of water resources management 
following these visits. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) Perhaps as important as identifying specific areas of 
technical level cooperation in groundwater modeling and water 
quality/sedimentation monitoring, however, was the positive 
recognition and support of the visits by MRE.  In addition to 
sending two diplomats to attend the seminar, Coimbra sent a letter 
to the head of ANA's International Affairs Office, Raimundo Filho, 
in support of the collaboration.  This blessing may bode well for 
future cooperation in this and other technical working group areas 
contemplated under the CAE. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Post thanks OES and Embassy Budapest for creating this 
opportunity, and for the quick turnaround of funding and logistical 
aspects of the visits. 
 
SOBEL