FY09 PRIORITIES AND WORK-ITEMS FOR AMMAN ESTH HUB

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 002783

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA (ARVIS),AND OES/PCI
STATE PASS TO USAID
STATE PASS TO EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL
USDA FOR FOREST SERVICE/INTERNATIONAL
INTERIOR FOR INTERNATIONAL/WASHBURNE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO ETRD EAID PGOV JO
SUBJECT: FY09 PRIORITIES AND WORK-ITEMS FOR AMMAN ESTH HUB

REF: STATE 97800


1. The Amman ESTH Hub for the NEA Bureau was established in 1997
and supports 17 countries in the NEA region. The current incumbent
(Manu Bhalla) is the fourth Hub officer and is supported by a
regional environmental specialist (currently vacant). The Amman Hub
advances a wide range of regional priorities, services a broad
geographical area, and interacts with a diverse array of USG and
local interlocutors. The Hub officer traveled to 9 NEA region
countries (as well as Washington, Rome, and Istanbul) over the past
12 months. Over the past year, the Hub has supported 18 USG
agencies in ESTH collaborations in the NEA region and directly
supported almost a dozen visits by USG agencies to Jordan including
several VIP visits.

Key Priorities and Work Items
--------------


2. Hub priorities for 2009 are closely aligned with the 2008 OES
Priorities for NEA (reftel). The work items for the first quarter
of FY09 are specified in detail, while longer-term work items do not
necessarily have specific dates. The Hub priorities support
economic growth, sustainable development, public diplomacy/outreach,
the Arab-Israeli peace process, and advancing capacity for improved
environmental management. Maintaining the strong information flow
and supporting the broad array of USG agencies engaged in ESTH
collaborations in NEA will continue to be a key priority - and use
significant resources from the Amman Hub. Traveling to NEA
countries not visited during FY08 will also guide Hub travel plans.

Priority 1: Water Resource Management Issues
-------------- -


3. Access to water for municipal and agricultural use are critical
issues in the Middle East as are trans-boundary water issues and
appropriate water resource management policies. Key work items
include:

-- Bolstering and promoting active Israeli/Jordanian/Palestinian
participation in the EXACT Multilateral Working Group. The
short-term focus will be the U.S. supported regional training
initiative which includes an October 2008 U.S. study tour for core
party officials on wastewater reuse. Italy is the most recent donor
to join the EXACT process. The Hub will continue to promote EXACT
with potential donors such as Sweden, Norway, and Japan who have
signaled their interest in joining the forum. The Hub will also
support a presentation by the core parties at the March 2009 Fifth
World Water Forum in Istanbul.
-- Supporting regional organizations such as the Middle East
Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) in research and capacity
building. Track the MEDRC Executive Committee's ambitious plan to
reposition MEDRC with a new private sector and donor based funding
mechanism and move away from the current country membership based
framework.
-- Supporting NEA bureau representatives, posts, and USAID on
trans-boundary issues such as the Red Sea-Dead Sea feasibility
study, the Nile Basin Initiative, and the Tigris-Euphrates Basin.
-- Reporting on programs to improve access to safe drinking water,
mobilization of private capital for related infrastructure,
integrated water resources management, and trans-boundary water
cooperation issues in the NEA region.

Priority 2: Science Outreach in the Muslim World
-------------- ---


4. U.S. science and technology (S&T) capabilities continue to be
held in high regard, although in some cases, European project
support seems to be displacing the U.S. from our interlocutors
focus. S&T collaborations in the Muslim world provide the U.S. with
a natural entree for outreach and engagement. The Amman Hub will
continue to advance the Department's "Science and Technology
Strategy for Outreach to Muslim Countries" through increased
high-level engagement with S&T communities in the region; reaching
out to youth (universities, high-schools),women, policy-makers, and
technology-based entrepreneurs; and increasing collaborative
activities. Program elements include:

-- Building upon the success of the July 2008 U.S.-Jordan S&T Joint
Committee Meeting (JCM). Six working groups in the areas of Water
and Environment, Energy, Health, Education, Agriculture, and
Innovation were formed. The Hub will track (and nudge) these groups
to convene regularly and develop viable projects.
-- Holding outreach engagements at universities and high schools
highlighting U.S. S&T collaborations.

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-- Participating and presenting USG collaborations at up to three
regional conferences.
-- Expanding Jordanian media coverage of Embassy ESTH activities and
USG water resource management initiatives.
-- Encouraging/supporting other posts in the region in increasing
their ESTH issues media coverage.
-- Supporting continued implementation of S&T agreements with Egypt,
Libya, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.
-- Assessing the feasibility of possible new agreements with other
Gulf countries, particularly Qatar.
-- Completing and presenting the proposal for the Year of U.S.-Arab
Science Partnership. A conceptual framework for this initiative
which amplifies U.S. S&T support in the Arab world was presented in
the Department in March 2008. The next step is to develop a
detailed business plan.

Priority 3: Environment and Energy
--------------


5. The Hub will also support the implementation of environmental
cooperation agreements with Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, and Oman in
support of U.S. Free Trade Agreements (FTA) agreements. Promoting
the continued implementation of the Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) environmental capacity building will also be a key
focus. Work items will include:

-- Implementing MEPI regional courses on a range of environmental
topics including Hazardous Waste Management (January 2009) and
developing a MENA region pollution prevention and cleaner production
network (starting in November 2008).
-- Supporting implementation of the USAID-EPA interagency agreement
for Jordan which includes extensive capacity building for the
Environmental Rangers including a U.S. study tour, and training
courses on investigations, inspections, and environmental
prosecutions.
-- Holding the next Joint Forum under the U.S.-Jordan FTA
Environmental Cooperation Agreement (late 2008).
-- Supporting strong regional and U.S. participation in the
Environmental Cities of the Mediterranean Forum (October 2008).
-- Continuing outreach efforts to introduce Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) principles for Green Buildings in the
NEA region.
-- Launching a Green Embassy initiative at Embassy Amman. Promote
some of the positive results with other NEA region Embassies.
-- Supporting posts in monitoring key regional environmental issues
including driftnet fishing (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia may
be practicing large-scale driftnet fishing),coral reef preservation
in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and oil-spill mitigation efforts in
the Suez Canal and Arabian Gulf.
-- Tracking renewable energy adoption and challenges in the NEA
region as well as novel energy initiatives.
-- Planning and participating in Earth Day related environmental
outreach in at least two countries in the NEA region.

Priority 4: Pandemic Flu Preparedness and Public Health
-------------- --------------


6. The threat of pandemic flu continues to be one of the highest
priority public health issues in Egypt and its possible spread to
nearby NEA posts also requires vigilance. Key work items in the "H"
part of the ESTH will include:

-- Pandemic flu preparedness and avian influenza mitigation in Egypt
and surrounding countries;
-- Tracking and supporting the progress of the Middle East Breast
Cancer Awareness and Research partnership (MEPI program),(Jordan,
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and the Palestinian
territories).

Priority 5: Support Middle East Peace Efforts
-------------- --


7. The Amman Hub will support USG efforts related to the Middle
East peace process through enhanced Israeli, Palestinian, and
Jordanian cooperation on ESTH issues.

-- Visit, monitor and report on success of Middle East Regional
Cooperation (MERC) projects on fostering Israel-Arab collaboration.
(Currently a record 38 active MERC projects are ongoing including 25
in Jordan). Review MERC pre-proposals and proposals. Attend the
MERC committee meetings in Washington to allocate project grants.
-- Supporting successful Trilateral Research and Industrial
Development (TRIDE) Governing Board meetings in the region to foster
Israel-Jordan-U.S. collaboration with particular focus on water and

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renewable energy start-ups.
-- Coordinating with NEA/RA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture
to program regional environmental capacity building for Israeli,
Jordanian, and Palestinian participants under the Multilateral
Environmental working group.
-- Encouraging increased Israeli-Arab nominations and participation
in ESTH issues through the International Visitor program.
-- Supporting EXACT Multilateral Water working group meetings
(covered in Priority 1).

Priority 6: Hub operations and communications
-------------- --------------


8. The Regional ESTH Officer will bolster the Hub operations and
communications with posts, the inter-agency, and other Hubs.

-- Supporting the preparation and delivery of the October 7-9 EST
Officers conference for NEA/SCA in Cairo. Foster a robust
discussion on NEA regional ESTH issues.
-- Designing a successful orientation and training plan for the new
Regional Environmental Specialist (expected to start in November
2008).
-- Continuing bi-weekly updates on ongoing ESTH issues/activities in
the region - sent to Washington inter-agency and regional posts (USG
only).
-- Launching an ESTH Hub website and interactive blog/chat sessions
to start electronic outreach on ESTH issues with external
interlocutors/contacts in NEA region.
-- Encouraging ESTH officers at NEA posts to send regular updates on
ESTH issues.
-- Gleaning and sharing Hub best practices from Hub officers
meetings.
-- Meeting regularly with diplomatic corps members to track other
ESTH activities in the region.
-- Possibly convening a mini-ESTH conference for all NEA FSN/LES
staff involved in ESTH work in May 2009. OES funding support would
increase the feasibility of this event.


PROJECTED TRAVEL AND CALENDAR OF EVENTS
--------------


9. The following is the rough calendar of events and projected
travel. Hub funding in FY08 was very tight with the marked
increases in regional travel costs. Given the additional
training/orientation needs for a new LES Regional Environmental
Specialist, an $8,000 increase in FY09 Hub travel funding is
requested.

Oct 5-10: Egypt, EST Officer Conference
Oct 18-20: Dead-Sea, Eco-Cites of Mediterranean Forum
Oct 20-28: U.S. study tour for core party officials on wastewater
reuse (EXACT Water working group)
Oct 20-29: U.S. study tour for Jordan's environmental rangers and
Ministry of Environment (USAID/EPA organizing)
Oct 25-27: Jordan, National Energy Ratings System workshop with
Department of Energy
Oct 25-27: Egypt International Partnership meeting on Avian and
Pandemic Influenza
Oct 31-Nov 2: Jordan MEPI Breast Cancer Partnership meeting
Oct/Nov (tbd): Signing of U.S.-Jordan 2008-2011 Environmental
Work-plan under FTA.
Nov - Feb (tbd): EPA Science fellow to support remediation planning
at Russeifah landfill/phosphate mine in Jordan
Nov 3-6: Kuwait ESTH meetings
Nov (tbd): Tunisia ESTH meetings
Nov 23-25: Lebanon ESTH meetings
December 7-10: Holiday: Eid Al-Adha
Dec 15-20: Oman - MEDRC Executive Council meeting + XXVII EXACT
Water Working Group meeting of Core Parties
Jan 19-28: Morocco/Qatar MEPI Workshop on Hazardous Waste Management
+ Morocco ESTH meetings
Feb (tbd): Washington: MERC Committee meetings + presentations
regarding U.S.-Arab Science Partnership year.
Feb (tbd): Algeria and Libya trips
Feb (tbd): UAE trip + Bahrain - MEPI Pollution Prevention and
Cleaner Production
March (tbd): Iraq and Yemen trips
March 15-22: Turkey - Fifth World Water Forum including
presentations by Core Parties on EXACT
March/April (tbd): American Jordanian Expo on Science and
Technology (Water, Energy, Environment).
April (5-14): Washington: Hub Officers workshop, MERC Committee
meetings, consultations

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April (20-22): Syria/Riydah/other location: Earth Day Celebrations
May (tbd): Aqaba and Israel meetings
May (tbd): Regional Environmental Workshop for core parties (with
USDA under Middle East Peace Process framework)
May (tbd): FSN mini-ESTH conference (location TBD)
June (tbd): Oman - MEDRC Executive Council meeting + XXVIII EXACT
Water Working Group meeting of Core Parties
June/July (tbd): Washington training for Regional Environmental
Specialist

PROPOSED TRAINING:
--------------


10. The following training-related activities will be undertaken by
the Hub. The regional environmental specialist would visit
Washington during FY09 to attend the ESTH Tradecraft course as well
as other consultations. He/she would also lead the organization of
the mini-ESTH conference for LES staff in the region.

-- ESTH Tradecraft course for new LES (December 08 or June 09).
-- Seven Habits of Highly Effective Leaders - if it coincides with
next Hub officer visit to Washington;
-- Amman Hub - to host mini-FSN ESTH conference in April/May 2009.
Location tbd.

Visit Amman's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman

BEECROFT