Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04GUATEMALA538
2004-03-04 15:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Guatemala
Cable title:  

SUCCESSFUL VISIT OF NASA ADMINISTRATOR SEAN

Tags:  SENV TSPA GT 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000538 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS NASA/ID -

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPA GT
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL VISIT OF NASA ADMINISTRATOR SEAN
O'KEEFE FEBRUARY 28-29 TO GUATEMALA

REF: SECSTATE 22983

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 000538

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS NASA/ID -

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPA GT
SUBJECT: SUCCESSFUL VISIT OF NASA ADMINISTRATOR SEAN
O'KEEFE FEBRUARY 28-29 TO GUATEMALA

REF: SECSTATE 22983


1. Summary. NASA Administrator Sean O,Keefe had a very
successful visit to Guatemala during his brief six-country
trip to Latin America. In Guatemala he met with GOG
officials in the Peten where NASA briefed on
environmental/climate change and archeological programs
carried out through a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Central American Commission on Environment and Development
(CCAD),toured Tikal, hosted a dinner for GOG officials, and
departed early Sunday, 2/29, for Manaus, Brazil. End Summary.


2. Administrator Sean O,Keefe of NASA, met by the Hamilton,
stopped February 28 in Guatemala,s Peten department, which
includes the entire Maya Biosphere, during his brief
six-country visit to the Mesoamerica Biological Corridor.
The NASA party gave presentations to the new Guatemalan
government on the work they are doing under an MOU with the
Central American Commission on Environment and Development
(CCAD)(Spanish acronym). Minister of Environment Mario Dary,
who is also the President Pro Tempore of the CCAD; Minister
of Agriculture Alvaro Aguilar; Executive Secretary to the
President Eduardo Gonzalez; head of CONAP (the protected
areas council that oversees the Maya Biosphere) Ana Luisa
Noguera; Governor of Peten Manuel Barquin; Vice Minister of
Agriculture for Peten Erasmo Sanchez; head of the National
Commission on Science and Technology Hector Centeno, among
others, participated in the briefing, held in the Jungle
Lodge at the Tikal archeological site.


3. The NASA briefings covered the NASA/CCAD SERVIR project
(partially funded by USAID and the World Bank),that will
help policy makers, scientists, educators, etc., through data
and computer models monitor and forecast ecological changes,
respond to natural disasters, and better understand both
natural and human induced effects on the regional climate.
The briefing also reviewed the use of satellite imaging to
locate probable Mayan archeological sites and reveal facts
about the Mayan civilization,s land use that could be
applicable to today,s climate change issues. They explained
the aerial survey mission (AirSAR),which is taking place
March 2-9 over selected environmentally important areas of
Mexico through Panama. Its data will have higher resolution
than the current satellite images.


4. Presentation highlights: (1) The announcement that a
website with SERVIR data will be online within a few months.
The website will offer real-time satellite images of Central
America for use by government decision makers, scientists,
schools, etc. (2) Project imagery also revealed a close
correlation between a particular color variation and
archaeological sites that were previously undiscovered,
suggesting that there are probably many Mayan archeological
sites still to be located and studied. The data suggests the
Mayans sustained a high density of population in what are
currently inhospitable areas. (3) Perhaps most stunning was
the discovery by American archeologist Bill Saturno of the
first Mayan mural found since 1946 and one which pre-dates by
800 years the previous best estimates of the height of Mayan
civilization and art, moving the estimates from 800 A.D. to 0
A.D.


5. After the briefing, the NASA party and some GOG officials
toured Tikal led by Guatemalan Archeologist Roxy Ortiz, who
works at the San Bartolo site. The President's Executive
Secretary Eduardo Gonzalez left with his party. They

SIPDIS
scheduled NASA's briefing into a fact-finding day trip to
Peten to learn more about competing plans for managing the
area of the Mirador archeological site (Cuenca Mirador or
Mirador Basin),which hosts the largest Mayan pyramid yet
discovered and an extensive area of archeological interest.


6. The visit was rounded off by a dinner at the Camino Real
Tikal Hotel hosted by Administrator O,Keefe and attended by
the Hamilton, the Ministers of Agriculture and Environment,
head of CONAP, Vice Minister of Agriculture, Executive
Secretary of CCAD, and others. Administrator O'Keefe left

SIPDIS
Sunday morning for Manaus, Brazil.


7. Comment: The visit was very productive and deeply
impressed the GOG. It was a superb opportunity for the new
government to see what cooperation with the USG on science
and environmental issues can offer. The briefings, dinner
and informal chats at Tikal and at breakfast helped clarify a
number of key issues for both the GOG and USG. For instance,
the Minister of Agriculture wanted to know why his ministry
was financing part of AirSAR (funds approved by the
discredited Portillo administration). NASA officials
explained the project's agricultural applications and also
allayed GOG concerns that data to be provided on the SERVIR
website would help the illegal antiquities trade find sites.
Embassy and AID staff were able to get valuable information
on the Cuenca Mirador project, which is a highly visible,
highly controversial project for both the U.S. and Guatemala.

HAMILTON