VZCZCXRO3117
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHPB
DE RUEHBK #3388/01 3230004
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180004Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5072
INFO RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 7439
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 7000
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0737
RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 0641
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9207
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1188
RUEHSV/AMEMBASSY SUVA 0375
RUEHBD/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 3368
RUEHGO/AMEMBASSY RANGOON 5381
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 2722
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 5062
RUEHVN/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 5195
RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 0616
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0432
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 4994
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 7179
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 7443
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0842
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 5852
RUEHJA/AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0065
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 4857
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 8976
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJL/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 BANGKOK 003388 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP for AWYCKOFF,WBEHN; OES/PCI for NFITE, EROSE 
DEPT FOR USAID/EGAT for BBEST, CBARBER; COMMERCE for NOAA; INTERIOR 
for USGS, USFWS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV EAID AMGT SENV TH
SUBJECT: EAST ASIA ESTH HUB WORK PLAN FOR FY09 
 
Ref: State 97800 
 
¶1. Summary: This cable sets out the East Asian Regional 
Environmental Officer's ("Hub") work plan for FY09.  In accordance 
with OES and EAP priorities the Hub will focus on three areas of 
science diplomacy: clean energy, public health and conservation of 
natural resources combined with law enforcement and sustainable 
fisheries.  The Hub will also support scientific and technological 
collaboration, educational exchange opportunities, and support 
climate change initiatives throughout the hub's 16 nations, 
coordinating with the Suva Hub and Washington.  The hub will 
concentrate its efforts on posts with low ESTH staffing and on four 
high profile regional projects: the Coral Triangle Initiative, the 
ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network, the Heart of Borneo Initiative, 
and the Mekong River Commission.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. The East Asia Hub encompasses 16 nations: Brunei, Burma, 
Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, North 
Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, 
and Vietnam.  Some of the posts at these nations have large ESTH 
sections, such as China, Japan and Indonesia, while others have only 
part-time ESTH officers.  The Hub's principal strategies are to 
address East Asian trans-border ESTH issues, coordinate interagency 
work and support ESTH officers at the East Asian posts, particularly 
those posts where the ESTHoff is not a full time ESTH officer, for 
example Timor Leste, Laos, Brunei and Mongolia.  The hub will also 
work more closely with the SE Asia mainland countries, due to 
generally small ESTH sections and the many transnational issues. 
Around one third of hub work will be on bilateral ESTH issues in 
Thailand.  For both bilateral and hub work, the Hub has one FSO and 
one FSN; an EFM assistant is expected to start work soon. 
 
¶3. Energy security is one of the highest priorities for this region. 
Nearly one-third of world's population producing about one-quarter 
of the global GDP is in this region, which threatens sustainable 
economic development. The Hub will work to help the region reduce 
the activities that could be causing harmful climate change, develop 
conservation of irreplaceable resources and the development of 
sustainable economies with clean energy.  East Asia will play a 
major, possibly predominant, role in determining the future course 
of the world's economy and in maintaining international peace and 
stability. Bangkok is the perfect hub for East Asia, as a number of 
USG agencies maintain regional offices there: USAID, CDC, the Army 
medical research unit AFRIMS and others. Several influential ESTH 
NGOs also maintain regional offices, as well as international 
governmental and financial institutions.  By working closely with 
the action officers and leaders of these organizations, the Hub will 
be able to coordinate Washington policy with these agencies.  The 
presence of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) is a 
natural site for regional enforcement conferences.  Outlined below 
are goals, objectives and the focus areas requested in Reftel. 
 
¶4. CLEAN ENERGY 
- Hydropower on the Mekong River - support transparency and 
mitigation of environmental effects, considering many dams now back 
on the planning table and limited ESTH time by posts in the Mekong 
area.  Draft cable on regional effects and need for transparency; 
encourage research; coordinate USG and international efforts. 
Success will be transparent hydropower decisions and dams with 
reduced environmental impact. Engage with International 
Organizations (the Mekong River Commission, the World Bank, and the 
Asia Development Bank), national agencies (the Electricity 
 
BANGKOK 00003388  002 OF 006 
 
 
Generating Authority of Thailand and others), developers, 
financiers, and others on the issues of transparency and a regional, 
multi-disciplinary and integrative approach to hydropower 
development that considers food security and natural resource 
conservation. 
- Air quality - improved air quality in the area's problem cities, 
for example Ulaanbaatar.  Bring USG expertise and best practices to 
bear in support of ESTHoffs in constituent posts. Seek scientific 
exchanges with agencies such as EPA.  After assessment in some posts 
with less attention, such as Mongolia, Hub will seek scientific 
exchanges with agencies such as EPA and Embassy Science fellows. 
 
¶5. PUBLIC HEALTH: 
- The Hub interacts with the various regional agencies in Bangkok: 
CDC, AFRIMS, APHIS and USAID.  Hub will explore and synthesize 
common trends in the various diseases that agencies are studying 
independently. 
- Avian Influenza, still a dominant health and economic issue in the 
region; with new stages identified in outbreak analysis, work to get 
posts to develop revised tripwires; success will be revised 
tripwires at constituent posts.  Continue chairing Pandemic task 
force at Embassy Bangkok. 
- HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, Dengue, Hoof and Mouth and other infectious 
diseases - from recent conference attendance it appeared that 
counterproductive behaviors (HIV/AIDS) and inexorable trends 
(mega-urbanization) are making pandemic risks for many diseases 
greater than ever.  Hub will support and publicize the USG 
interagency efforts through cable reporting and press releases. Seek 
funding for Dengue research, currently low. 
- Publicize the Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre 
(REDI) in Singapore, a new organization. Work to integrate its work 
with U.S. agencies such as CDC, and promote exchanges. 
- From attendance at recent conferences, Hub notes many disease 
researchers today have little experience in program management; 
identify and disseminate training opportunities for researchers. 
Success will be organization of new training for researchers in 
constituent nations. 
 
¶6. NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: 
- Coordinate and support regional conservation initiatives: Coral 
Triangle Initiative (CTI), Heart of Borneo, Mekong River Commission 
and others. Success will include increased hectares of well-managed 
protected areas with improvement of livelihoods based on natural 
resources. 
- At least one enforcement training event organized during the work 
plan year, using the ILEA Bangkok facility.  With recent changes to 
the Lacey Act, prepare outreach materials or organization of a 
seminar at ILEA on extension of plant products to USG CITES 
enforcement. Success will be successful enforcement of Lacey Act, 
particularly for plants. 
- Support and report on upcoming regional Wild Cat conference; 
encourage any new members wanted by the Coalition Against Wildlife 
Trafficking (Thailand and Malaysia), with a new member as a success 
metric. Bridge the ASEAN-WEN and CAWT networks if both organizations 
are interested. 
- Support ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN) and work for 
increased enforcement successes, and SECEN, Asian Environmental 
Compliance and Enforcement Network (with USAID), trying to enlist 
more members. Success measured in increased arrests.  NGOs warn of 
capacity and commitment challenges with AESEAN-WEN; Hub will visit 
ASEAN-WEN officials with ESTHoffs and stress importance of 
government commitment.  Most importantly, work through ESTHoffs to 
 
BANGKOK 00003388  003 OF 006 
 
 
interact with ASEAN nations to fund the program that USAID is now 
largely funding. 
- Fisheries enforcement - develop use of ILEA for training event for 
CTI and other interested nations. 
- Thailand - resolve current issue with export of farm-raised 
Siamese crocodile through interaction with Thai actors and USF&WS; 
farmers need to enhance recovery of wild population. Use success in 
facilitating trade with conservation to model for other posts. 
- Monitor and support execution CTI State grant Three Regional 
Grants monitoring: Thailand/Laos (wetlands management), Malaysia 
(global environment center) and Vietnam (Regional cooperation for 
NGOs). Success will be the number of people receiving effective 
training from these programs, and measurement of the activities the 
trained persons carried out. 
 
¶7. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 
- Foster S&T exchanges, scholarships, visits to the U.S.; look for 
opportunities and increase the number of placements.  This is a 
dominant theme of all S&T meetings so far; scientists complain of 
less USG opportunities compared to other nations. Success will be 
increased or new exchanges or scholarships. ASEAN University Network 
will be focus. 
- Leverage the USGS's DRAGON project in the Mekong Delta as a model 
for multi-disciplinary science and technology collaboration, 
including its digital library and public-private sector 
partnerships.  (Explore use of data base as model for public 
outreach and other data sharing situations, such as CTI). 
- Investigate participation by constituent posts in GLOBE science 
education program; if GLOBE program has faltered or never got 
started, coordinate GLOBE materials to post and share best 
practices. Success will be increased use of GLOBE program. 
- Genetically Modified Organisms - use public outreach to explain 
U.S. policy and dispel misinformation. Facilitate scientific 
exchanges.  Success measured by increased U.S. exports and reduction 
in negative view of the U.S. caused by this issue. 
 
 
¶8. REGIONAL COOPERATION PROJECTS: 
- In general, Hub hopes to support regional projects through 
solicitation of EAP/OES grants from FY09 funds.  Hub will coordinate 
with Suva Hub and organize grant process to meet objectives for the 
various regional projects. 
- CORAL TRIANGLE INITIATIVE, six-country effort that overlaps with 
Suva hub and deals with climate change, conservation and economic 
development objectives.  While it may be too early for the CTI 
nations to assimilate more support by other nations, seek to draw in 
buffer states such as Vietnam into synchronizing with CTI 
objectives. Success will be measured by at least one concrete action 
program by each of the six nations, CTI nation funding and their 
continued expressed commitment to CTI objectives.  While NGOs and 
RDMA are devoting many man-hours to this initiative, the Hub 
perceives a need for a regional State Dept officer to coordinate 
cables, press releases as Hub has done already. Hub will coordinate 
with Suva hub but envisions being the State regional lead with NGO 
consortium and USAID RDMA due to the greater involvement of the 
larger East Asia hub nations. In visits to CTI nations, Hub can use 
State good offices to ensure the nations continue to commit to 
working with regional fisheries management organizations. 
- HEART OF BORNEO INITIATIVE, three-country effort within East Asia 
hub, dealing with conservation and climate change objectives. 
Success metrics are the same as for CTI. While Kuala Lumpur and 
Jakarta are well staffed, Hub will assist Brunei with grants 
 
BANGKOK 00003388  004 OF 006 
 
 
process, cable reporting and other support as requested. 
- MEKONG RIVER COMMISSION and associated projects: Hub will interact 
with Commission officials to assess and identify ways to build 
capacity for shared water resource management.   Hub will tie in 
efforts on hydropower dam analysis and ASEAN-WEN enforcement needs. 
Develop IVP and Science Fellow candidates to assist Commission. 
- For all regional efforts Hub will coordinate closely with USAID 
RDMA. 
- ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement network, deals with law enforcement and 
conservation goals; Hub coordinates USG support activities.  Success 
will include organization of at least one regional training event 
and increases in arrests of illegal wildlife traffickers. 
- Support USAID's Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade (RAFT) 
Program, through cable reporting. 
- Increase the amount or number of OES grants to trans-national 
projects. 
- Work with Suva and Kathmandu hubs to identify areas for 
cooperation and coordination. 
- STATE DEPARTMENT GRANTS: Monitor and support execution of three 
Regional Grants: Thailand/Laos (wetlands management), Malaysia 
(global environment center) and Vietnam (Regional cooperation for 
NGOs). Success will be the number of people receiving effective 
training from these programs, and measurement of the activities the 
trained persons carried out. 
 
¶9. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROCESS PARTICIPATION: During the season for 
developing the next round of mission MSPs and Ops, Hub will offer 
support for constituent posts to include at least one ESTH goal 
paper, disseminating successful models from hub posts. Success will 
be inclusion of ESTH goal paper and eventual funding where there was 
none, or increased funding for posts with ESTH goals from last year. 
The Hub will work with USAID RDMA to identify areas where increased 
funding is needed.  The Hub will also reach out to contacts in other 
funding sources, such as private foundations (e.g. the Walton 
Foundation that is working with CTI) to lobby for leveraged funding. 
 An important focus will be to lobby governments to fund programs 
such as ASEAN-WEN, reducing USAID support and thereby freeing USG 
funds for other purposes. 
 
¶10. OUTREACH: The hub aims to communicate to the nationals and 
governments of constituent posts how the U.S. is helping their 
respective economic development, governance, climate change and 
conservation needs.  Hub will work closely with the Embassy PAO, 
USAID RDMA PAO and bilateral missions and their public affairs 
sections.  Hub will concentrate on areas and constituencies where 
U.S. approval rating is low, such as Indonesia and regions where the 
ESTHoff is part time or has limited PA support. Hub will make 
available public affairs products of the Department, NGOs as 
appropriate and other USG agencies, especially for the regional 
initiatives.  The Hub's newsletter will be re-energized to publicize 
USG efforts and successes and Hub will explore reaching a wider 
audience. As Embassy Bangkok is a regional mission for many 
agencies, Hub will develop an ESTH section for Bangkok's website 
that will link to cables, the Hub newsletter and press releases. 
Where needed Hub will develop or coordinate outreach products, 
especially for regional initiatives, and seek opportunities to speak 
to audiences directly to promote appreciation of U.S. efforts.  The 
Hub's first opportunity is the planned presentation to ASEAN 
teacher's conference on U.S. techniques for environmental education; 
hub will aim for a product that can be used by other ESTHoffs.  Hub 
will also publicize the work of other USG agencies, and U.S. 
research institutions, such as NOAA and USGS, whose success stories 
 
BANGKOK 00003388  005 OF 006 
 
 
sometimes go unnoticed. Hub plans to participate in designing IV 
programs tailored to the region's needs, with success measured by 
the number of such programs and by the number of IVP selectees from 
the Hub's region. Particular areas Hub will suggest for IV programs 
include fisheries enforcement, hydropower planning and operations, 
wildlife enforcement, forestry, and program management for medical 
researchers.  Hub will work to develop outreach to Muslim areas 
using OES/STC program; there are negative perceptions of the U.S. in 
areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Southern Thailand and others. 
 
¶11. TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING: Hub will investigate and 
publicize training opportunities for ESTHoffs, their EFM assistants 
and LES.  Hub will support applications of constituent ESTH staff 
for Department training with letters of recommendation as 
appropriate. Hub will also investigate training opportunities for 
constituent officials and researchers in the U.S. and disseminate 
opportunities to constituent ESTHoffs. For Hub staff, Hub will seek 
enrollment in Managing State Projects for LES assistant and the ESTH 
Tradecraft course for incoming EFM assistant (who will be at Post 
for three years); we will also identify appropriate E-Learning FSI 
courses for all three hub members. 
 
¶12. TRAVEL/EVENT PLAN AND TIMELINE: Hub plans to use several 
guidelines: 
- International conferences, in part because of the regional nature 
of the issue and in part because the local ESTH officer often does 
not have time to attend. Valuable network opportunity. The Hub might 
be in best position to write cable that ties together the regional 
threads; 
- Posts with part-time ESTHoffs, to support them; 
- Posts that were not visited by Hub predecessor, in this case 
Mongolia, Burma, East Timor, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia (one 
trip completed). 
- Seek to coordinate travel with USAID RDMA travel for site visits 
and events. 
- Identify, assess and catalogue NGOs and science institutions on 
visits and disseminate to other USG and NGO actors. 
- Each trip would average 4-5 days: events plus day of other ESTH 
meetings plus day of site visits. Amounts after travel events are 
for air fare. 
OCTOBER 
Bangkok--USAID CTI Meeting 
Bangkok--USAID AI Meeting 
Phuket--International Conference on Dengue Fever $240 
Manila--CTI Senior Officials Meeting $804 
NOVEMBER 
Bangkok--International Better Air Quality Workshop 
Vientiane--UNDOC meeting on environmental crimes; visit dam sites 
$400 
DECEMBER 
Jakarta -- biodiversity conference (consider, if post cannot cover); 
use event to publicize CTI. $971 
Northern Thailand - Give presentation on Environmental Education to 
ASEAN teachers' conference of 1000 attendees. 
Cambodia --Accompany Embassy Phnom Penh Science fellow, from EPA, 
evaluating impacts and sustainability of hydropower projects.  $400 
JANUARY 
Bangkok Wild Cat summit, with reporting cable. 
FEBRUARY 
Ulaanbaatar  Best time for air pollution problem.  Previous Hub 
officer did not visit Mongolia and post has requested hub visit to 
bring interaction on clean energy possibilities. $3225 
 
BANGKOK 00003388  006 OF 006 
 
 
MARCH TO APRIL 
ESTH Hub Conference (Plan for Jakarta) 
ESTH Hub meeting, Antarctic Meeting and consultations. $3,050. 
Consultations will include NGOs, Department and USG agencies to 
include NOAA, USGS, EPA, and USFS. 
MAY 
Indonesia  World Ocean's Conference, CTI Heads of State Meeting; 
site visit to Heart of Borneo or CTI site. $971 
JUNE 
Bangkok & Laos Wetlands management training course, beginning in 
Bangkok and ending in Laos. Course may occur in May. (OES grant). 
Hub officer or FSN assistant would attend the opening, in Bangkok 
which includes the coursework.  The last ten days are fieldwork, and 
Hub officer and/or FSN would visit a day or two of fieldwork end and 
then attend the graduation. $400 x 2. 
DRAGON program summit Laos, bringing wetlands graduates (at USGS 
request), seeking additional funding as necessary. DRAGON delta 
research network deals with conservation and hydropower goals and 
its best practices can be applied to information needs of CTI and 
HOB. 
DECEMBER 
Chang Mai - ASEAN summit meeting (if USG can go as observers) To 
work with USAID to get commitment of ASEAN nations to fund ASEAN-WEN 
which has so far been almost entirely funded by USAID. 
TO BE DETERMINED: 
Monitor of Grant - Education for Nature Vietnam - Grant for Regional 
NGO workshop regarding Wildlife Crime. $542 
Monitor of Grant - Community Peatland Fire and Hazard Prevention 
Project (Malaysia) $610 
Various Thailand trips for conservation, river management, national 
park, nuclear facilities and other subjects. 4 Trips within Thailand 
@$250 each = $1000 
Burma - as visa granted. $434 
Brunei - Heart of Borneo site visit; S&T meetings. $601 
Subtotal $14246 
Hotel Rooms averaging $120/night @ 5 nights each (over-estimate) 
$9375 
Grand total hotels and air fare: $25,021 
JOHN