VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNT #2013/01 3270906
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 230906Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8809
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9684
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA

UNCLAS TASHKENT 002013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OES/ETC, OES/PCI, OES/STC, SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, SCA/RA: AGOEL 
AID FOR EE/EG/EI: CMITCHELL 
USDA/FAS/BIG: JPPASSINO, FAS/TTP: PSHEIKH 
DOE FOR NNSA 
EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
ALMATY FOR AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID TBIO ECON UZ ZK AF
SUBJECT: FY'08 REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL HUB WORK PLANS FOR TASHKENT 
 
REF: STATE 140185 
 
¶1.  Per reftel request, the Central Asian Environment, Science, 
Technology, and Health Hub (CA ESTH Hub) submits its projected work 
plan for FY 2008. 
 
-------------------- 
Goals and Objectives 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  The CA ESTH Hub endeavors to act as a clearinghouse in support 
of Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific 
Affairs (OES) and Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) 
policies relating to ESTH issues in Central Asia and more broadly in 
support of USG goals promoting regional stability by fostering 
sustainable economic development through encouraging the practice of 
environmentally and economically sound practices and policies. 
 
¶3.  In its clearinghouse capacity the Hub works with its constituent 
posts in the region, the OES and SCA Bureaus, USAID, USDA, CDC, US 
National Park Service, international donor organizations, UN 
organizations, the ESTH R&D communities, NGOs, governments in the 
region, etc.  The Hub devotes particular attention to water issues, 
particularly transboundary water sharing issues in the Aral Sea 
Basin and related hydropower developments; biodiversity issues such 
as ecotourism, protected areas management capacity building and 
infrastructure development, land degradation, and desertification; 
S&T issues, such as the state of the S&T community in the region, 
renewable energy, and management of uranium tailings sites and other 
natural disaster preparedness issues; and health-related issues such 
as avian influenza preparedness, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, 
environmental health problems in the Aral Sea region, and the state 
of public health systems in the region. 
 
¶4.  As the Hub follows issues in these areas, it seeks to identify 
program and project areas, as well as researchers, officials, 
environmental movement leaders, teachers, experts in various ESTH 
fields, etc. which/who are pursuing goals that have the potential, 
if achieved, of furthering USG ESTH policies and goals in the 
region.  The Hub endeavors to identify projects that would promote 
transboundary cooperation and regional stability.  If the Hub has 
identified a project or an individual with an idea for a project 
with goals that meet these criteria, the Hub then seeks to garner 
support for it from regional governments, donor organizations, etc. 
 
 
¶5.  In functioning as a clearinghouse for ESTH issues and projects 
in the region, the hub has made key priorities: (1) communications 
and information sharing and (2) regional outreach. 
 
------------------------ 
General Resources Needed 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  In the spring of 2007, the Regional ESTH Officer's (REO) 
reaccreditation was denied and she left Uzbekistan.  The 
Political/Economic Section has overseen the office in the interim 
until an officer is posted to the Hub's new location in Kazakhstan. 
The LES Environmental Specialist in Tashkent provides invaluable 
institutional memory and works with P/E to plan ESTH's activities. 
Without a full-time REO, the ESTH office has reduced its activities, 
limiting travel to Uzbekistan and focusing more on Uzbek 
environmental issues, especially cross-border issues.  With the 
arrival of a new REO to his/her new post, as is expected to happen 
in 2008, the office should get back to its full capacity and 
continue its regional travels. 
 
------------------------------ 
Regional Programs and Projects 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  As part of the Democracy Grants Commission, the ESTH Tashkent 
Office launched its ESTH Small Grants Program on a pilot basis in FY 
¶2007.  Five projects that approved by the ESTH Committee: support to 
local decision-making on water issues; use of 
environmentally-friendly technology for hot water supply; safe waste 
disposal; environmental education for rural families; and safe 
drinking water for a remote mountain community.  The LES is 
responsible for overseeing the implementation of these projects. 
Tashkent requested additional funding for FY 2008 to continue this 
 
program in Uzbekistan. 
 
¶8.  The Hub will continue its efforts with UNESCO's Center for Water 
Law, Policy and Science, and possibly with ADB, to facilitate the 
establishment of much needed training-for-trainers and UK-accredited 
master's programs in international and national water law and policy 
for Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Land Reclamation 
curriculum.  The Hub believes that this program will provide 
indispensable legal framework sorely lacking for transboundary water 
cooperation in Central Asia.  As part of overall transboundary water 
capacity-building initiative, the Hub will also facilitate 
participation of young specialists in the U.S. Tufts University-led 
Young Professionals' Forum on Transboundary Waters in Dundee, United 
Kingdom.  Communication among young water professionals will 
encourage stronger networking to build future trust and 
understanding on sensitive regional issues. 
 
¶9.  The Hub is looking at opportunities to collaborate with 
renewable energy institutions and professionals in Uzbekistan and 
Central Asia to support clean energy development initiatives. 
Initial assessment of the needs and prospects for renewable energy 
development in the region suggests that there is much interest from 
local institutions to collaborate with their U.S. counterparts for 
capacity building, transfer of ideas and technology, and information 
exchange. 
 
¶10.  In addition, the Hub plans to work with the Public Affairs 
Section on International Visitor Programs on ESTH-related issues. 
Approved programs for FY 2008 program include water resources 
management and clean energy and alternative fuel solutions programs 
for water and energy professionals, respectively. 
 
¶11.  The Hub submitted a request for an Embassy Science Fellow for 
Uzbekistan.  If approved for participation, the requested ESF from 
the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service 
laboratory in New Orleans will develop, with relevant Uzbekistan 
counterparts, management strategies for the control of Turkestan 
termites at the cultural heritage site in Khiva, Uzbekistan. 
 
¶12. The Hub will continue to work closely with USG agency Central 
Asian offices, international funding/donor organizations and UN 
agencies.  With these partners, we will identify promising 
areas/projects further and develop contacts to help promote USG 
goals in the region. 
 
---------------------- 
Calendar of Activities 
---------------------- 
 
¶13.  Given the absence of an REO, the Hub has reduced its activities 
to the most important, pending the arrival of the new officer in 
Kazakhstan.  The Hub's calendar of activities for the first quarter 
FY 2008 is: 
 
November, 2007: 
Publish newsletter; disseminate ESTH news; work with UNESCO and ADB 
HQ on international water law program for Tashkent Institute of 
Irrigation and Land Reclamation. 
 
December, 2007: 
Publish newsletter; disseminate ESTH news; review CA Hub web page. 
 
¶14.  During the rest of FY 2008, activities may include: review 
Caspian Sea ESTH issues/projects in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan; 
visit Kabul, Afghanistan (which has not been visited since joining 
the Hub); schedule visits to unvisited uranium tailings sites in 
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and sites related to hydropower in 
Tajikistan; continue investigating the status of protected areas and 
archeological sites; and continue to seek promising approaches to 
transboundary land and water issues in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, 
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. 
 
¶15.  The calendar must remain flexible, as Hub experience shows that 
major meetings and conferences are often announced with little 
notice.  In general, the Hub sets aside one week a month for 
regional travel, as set out in the communications/outreach plan 
section below. 
 
---------------------------- 
Communications/Outreach Plan 
---------------------------- 
 
¶16.  In accordance with its communications/information sharing 
priority, the CA hub will concentrate on: (1) publishing its monthly 
newsletter on Central Asian ESTH initiatives and trends to the 
broader environmental community, including relevant USG agencies 
(State, USAID, EPA, DOE, CDC, etc.), international financial 
institutions, international donor organizations, UN agencies, 
environmental NGOs and other interested NGOs operating in the 
region, US embassies in the region, environmental journalists, etc.; 
(2) continue to upgrade the Central Asian Environmental Hub web page 
on the Embassy web site by providing additional information in more 
formats and links to other web sites to increase its effectiveness 
as a gateway to information about environmental issues in Central 
Asia; (3) report via cable and e-mail to USG agencies in Washington 
on regional issues; and (4) identify ESTH projects with the 
potential to foster sustainable development and stability in the 
region that may also promote regional cooperation. 
 
¶17.  The Hub will not schedule regional outreach programs until the 
arrival of a new REO. 
 
¶18.  The Hub will make every effort to engage officers handling the 
ESTH portfolio at its constituent posts to promote Washington's 
policies and priorities on ESTH issues and to make suggestions for 
possible regional ESTH initiatives.  The Hub is pleased to note that 
officers at the Hub's constituent posts have been very cooperative 
in working with the Hub to explore ESTH-related issues in their 
respective countries, even though all have busy portfolios. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Anticipated Training and Capacity Building 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶19.  The LES is currently enrolled in the online course 
"Introduction to Grants and Cooperative Agreements", which will help 
Tashkent effectively monitor its ongoing ESTH small grants projects. 
The Hub plans to enroll the LES in "Monitoring Grants and 
Cooperative Agreements," to be held at FSI in February 2008. 
 
NORLAND