The REO team participated in the Re-gional Smart Patrol Training for Tiger Con-servation in the Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary from January 6-21. The training course was co-hosted by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute‘s Tiger Con-servation Partnership, Thailand‘s Depart-ment of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, the Global Tiger Initiative, the World Bank Institute and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The course was tailored towards frontline staff from Southeast Asian tiger-range coun-tries. There were 40 park managers and rangers that participated in the training ses-sion from Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. The training course was part of a com-prehensive effort to train teams of protected area managers and rangers from priority tiger ranges to develop and implement stra-tegic anti-poaching systems on the front lines. Upon returning to their home coun-tries, the protected area teams will be re-sponsible for training their colleagues and implementing a smart patrol system in their protected areas.

REO Highlights I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

LMI GLOBE Workshop

2

Solar Power in Cambodia

3

Vietnamese Satellites 3

Google Flu Trends 3

Solar Power in the Developing World

3

Sumatran Elephants 3

Greater Mekong Grant 4

Google Science Fair 4

Upcoming Events 4

Volume 2, I s sue 1

January 2012

The U.S. Department of State‘s

East and Southeast Asia Re-

gional Environmental Affairs

Office publishes this newsletter

for informational purposes

only. The articles contained

herein should not be construed

as official U.S. government

position.

Please visit our embassy web-

page for more information at:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/

embassy/reo.htm

Regional Environmental Affairs Off ice

N E W S L E T T E R

The U.S. Ambassador to Thailand, Kris-tie Kenney, gave keynote address at the ceremony to kick-off the Smart Patrol Training in Bangkok. Her speech not only to showed U.S. government support for the Global Tiger Initiative but also drew atten-tion to U.S. efforts to save endangered flag-ship species like the tiger. Due to the success of the program in Thailand, the Tiger Conservation Partner-ship will be facilitating a second Regional Smart Patrol Training for South Asian countries in Nepal in February 2012.

Tiger Conservation Efforts in Southeast Asia

U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney at the opening Smart Patrol Training ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand

Photos courtesy of U.S. Embassy Bangkok Public Affairs Section

Park managers and rangers at the training in Hua Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary

The REO team attended the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Train-the-Trainer workshop held at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, Thai-land from January 23-28. The week-long workshop was another REO funded small grant program awarded to Thailand‘s Institute for the Promo-tion of Teaching Science and Tech-nology (IPST) which develops sci-ence, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educators with the sup-port of the GLOBE program. The GLOBE program focuses on collabo-ration among student, teachers, edu-cators, scientists, government officials and others around the world to im-prove education and attain better un-derstanding of the earth system.

The workshop served as a unique opportunity for participants to be-come officially certified by GLOBE as national trainers qualified to lead teacher training in their respective countries. GLOBE trainers promote collaborative research among stu-dents, teachers and scientists on Earth System Science. The workshop qualified 60 trainers and 5 master trainers from Cambodia, Laos, Malay-sia, Nepal, Thailand and Viet-nam. The material covered at the workshop included atmosphere, hy-drology, land cover and soil proto-cols.

The LMI GLOBE workshop be-gan with an opening ceremony where Rick Switzer, Regional ESTH officer, gave introductory remarks on the importance of science activities and environmentally sustainable develop-ment. After the welcoming ceremony concluded, participants were split into two groups to begin training on the basic GLOBE protocols. The first two days were dedicated to land cover and soil, while the remaining time was

spent on atmosphere and hydrology protocols.

The break-out sessions were par-ticularly useful and demonstrated several different teaching methods to keep the participants engaged. The instructors utilized computers, text-books, visual demonstrations and field work to help the participants fully understand the protocols. A large part of the day was dedicated to practicing experiments outside on the beautiful campus. Participants were able to get their hands dirty as they personally practiced the experi-ments in order to be better able to teach them in the future.

The workshop was deemed to be a success by all involved. As Dr. Som-pong noted, ―the goal of this pro-gram is to get your students to think about their environment in a differ-ent way and ask ‗why‘.‖ By instilling curiosity and the desire to learn about the environment in children at an early age, you promote thoughtful communities and help create adults that can make informed deci-sions. Not only was this workshop a success for GLOBE science training as each country was able to increase their stock of qualified trainers, but it also served as a platform for LMI countries to network and share ideas.

For more information visit:

http://www3.ipst.ac.th/globethailand/

or http://globe.gov/

Page 2

LMI GLOBE Train-the-Trainer Workshop

R E O H I G H L I G H T S ( c o n t . )

Participants covering soil and land cover protocols

LMI GLOBE Train-the-Trainer Workshop participants at the opening ceremony on January 23rd

Rick Switzer, Regional ESTH officer, giving opening remarks

Cambodia‘s biggest solar power initiative to date – expected to provide electric-ity to 12,000 households in off-grid areas – will be com-pleted on January 31, ac-cording to officials involved with the project. Yiang Tal, chief of administration at the Rural Electrification Fund, said more than 10,000

of a total of 12,000 solar home systems had already been installed in Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear, Siem Reap and four other provinces as part of a World Bank-funded project. Some villagers are already using their newly installed panels. Em Vanntha, a resi-dent of Samrong village, in

Pursat province, said he signed up for the program two months ago and had a 50-watt panel installed in his home in December. Previously, he relied on batteries for electricity. Read More: http://www.eco-business.com/news/largest-ever-cambodian-solar-project-launched/

researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine over a 21-month period, is published in the January 9 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The researchers reported a strong correlation between a rise in Internet searches for flu information, compiled by Google‘s Flu Trends tool, and a subsequent rise in peo-

Monitoring Internet search traffic about influenza may prove to be a better way for hospital emergency rooms to prepare for a surge in sick patients compared to waiting for outdated government flu case reports. A report on the value of the Internet search tool for emergency depart-ments, studied by a team of

ple coming into a busy ur-ban hospital emergency room complaining of flu-like symptoms. Read more: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/_hopkins_researchers_find_google_flu_trends_a_powerful_early_warning_system_for_emergency_departments

Page 3

V I E T N A M T O L A U N C H E A R T H - M O N I T O R I N G S A T E L L I T E S ( B Y M I K E I V E S )

L A R G E S T - E V E R C A M B O D I A N S O L A R P R O J E C T L A U N C H E D ( B Y T H E P H N O M P E N H P O S T )

H O P K I N S R E S E A R C H E R S F I N D " G O O G L E F L U T R E N D S " A P O W E R F U L E A R L Y W A R N I N G S Y S T E M

( J O H N H O P K I N S N E W S R E L E A S E )

-nounced that it will provide a 40-year loan of about US$93 million (7.2 billion Japanese Yen) to Vietnam for equipment and capacity development connected to the bilateral satellite initia-tive. The first two satellites

are due to be launched in 2017 and 2020, according to Shohei Matsuura, senior advisor with the Japan In-ternational Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Hanoi.

For more read: http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/space-technology/news/vietnam-to-launch-earth-monitoring-satellites.html

Japanese experts are to help Vietnam build its first earth-observation satellites in an effort to help the South-east Asian country plan for the effects of climate change and natural disasters.

Last November, Japan an-

S U M A T R A N E L E P H A N T S J O I N

C R I T I C A L L Y E N D A N G E R E D L I S T

(BY BRIAN PADDEN)

The World Wildlife Fund announced that Indonesia's Sumatran elephant is now facing a greater risk of extinction and that its status has been changed from "endangered" to "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The elephant's shrinking population is caused, in large part, to the conversion of its forest habitat to agricultural plantations.

Read more at:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Sumatran-Elephants-Join-Critically-Endangered-Species-List--137952808.html

Photo by AP

R E G I O N A L N E W S

Photo By: Technology Review

The falling cost of LED lighting, batteries, and solar panels, together with innovative business plans, are allowing millions of households in Africa and elsewhere to switch from crude kerosene lamps to cleaner and safer electric lighting. For many, this offers a means to charge their mobile phones, which are becoming ubiquitous in Africa, instead of having to rent a charger.

Technology advances are opening up a huge new market for solar power: the approxi-mately 1.3 billion people around the world who don't have access to grid electricity. Even though they are typically very poor, these people have to pay far more for lighting than people in rich countries because they use inefficient kerosene lamps. While in most parts of the world solar power typically costs far more than electricity from conventional power plants—especially when including battery costs—for some people, solar power makes economic sense because it costs half as much as lighting with kerosene.

For more information visit: http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/39544/page1/

I N T H E D E V E L O P I N G W O R L D , S O L A R I S C H E A P E R T H A N F O S S I L F U E L S (BY KEVIN BULLIS)

GOOGLE Science Fair 2012

Google is looking for the brightest young scientists from around the world to submit interesting, crea-tive projects that are relevant to the world today. The Google Science Fair is an online science competi-tion seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea!

The competition closes April 1, 2012

For more information, visit: http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/enter.html

1 0 - Y E A R G R A N T P R O G R A M I N T H E G R E A T E R M E K O N G

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation‘s Conservation and Sustainable Development (CSD) program is launching a 10-year grant program in the Greater Mekong. The Lower Mekong basin will be the focus of investment for 2012. The foundation will make grants in the upper basin in China in 2013 and invest in basin-wide initiatives in 2014. Grant guidelines and a request for Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) can be found at (www.macfound.org).

The goal of the grant program is to reduce current rates of biodiversity and natural habitat loss and sustain the ecosystem services that underpin human well being in the Greater Mekong basin. MacAr-thur‘s priorities in the Lower Mekong were guided by the results of a regional consultation process led by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) to update the Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.

LOIs should be submitted no later than February 3, 2012 by e-mail to: 4answers@macfound.org

To subscribe, unsubscribe, comment or submit ideas,

please email REOBangkok@state.gov

GREEN tip!

Conserve water in your

home by installing low-flow

toilets and shower heads

designed specifically to re-

duce water waste. Turn off

the water when you are

brushing your teeth or

standing in front of the mir-

ror to shave. Although leav-

ing the water on may be a

long-ingrained habit, shut-

ting it off during these ac-

tivities can help save thou-

sands of gallons of water

every year, as well as the

energy required to treat and

heat it.

For more information, visit:

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.c

S T A Y I N F O R M E D . . .

Upcoming Events February 5-6: Asian Development Bank 2nd Asia-Pacific Water Summit—Bangkok, Thailand February 5-6: International Seminar on Role of Forests in Natural Disasters (FAO)—Sendani, Japan February 13-14: CITES Heads of Police and Customs Seminar on Tiger Crime—Bangkok, Thailand February 20-22: GMS 2020: Balancing Economic Growth & Sustainable Environment—Bangkok, Thailand

Upcoming Important Observance Days February 2: World Wetlands Day February 4: World Cancer Day March 24: World Tuberculosis Day

2 0 1 2 L A N D F O R L I F E A W A R D Rewarding leadership for sustainable land management

Applications for the 2012 Land for Life Award are now open The award will go to inspiring initiatives, which secure the health and productivity of soil for the well-being of present and future generations. The prize will be awarded to those efforts which reduce land degradation through sustainable land management, or are outstanding examples of political leadership, policy, business, advocacy campaigns or scientific research. The ―Jury‖ particularly welcomes nominations of candidates whose work is: innovative, collaborative, achieved in partnership across sectors, supports free knowledge sharing and capacity building, empowers vulnerable and marginalized groups, and fosters gender equality, cultural diversity and social inclusion. Three awards will be granted in 2012 from a total prize fund of up to USD 100,000.

The deadline for applications is February 29, 2012 For more information, visit: http://www.unccd.int/land4life/menu.php

World Wetlands Day Photos Celebration Favorites!

Thank you to all those who participated in the World Wetlands Photo Celebration 2012. The competition brought in over 900 photos of wet-lands from around the globe. The fan-favorites have been selected and can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/groups/wwd2012photocelebration/pool/with/6633558673/ . The top four photos were taken in Cambodia, Ghana, Mexico and the United States.

Happy Wetlands Day! Photographer: SAR Monyrath from Phnom Penh, Cambodia