Cooperative evaluation of Environmental Protection Agency activities under the USAID/Brazil global climate change program

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the environmental impact assessment (EIA) component of USAID"s Global Climate Change Program (GCC) in Brazil. EPA activities focused on delivering training courses, developing guidelines for EIAs related to economic activities associated with forest clearing and mining, and providing TA to conduct a pilot EIA. Interim evaluation covers the period 8/91- 9/96. In 8/93, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the State University of new York (SUNY), and the U.S. Forestry Service, EPA delivered an intensive 3-week "train the trainers" course in the United States for 17 Brazilian environmental professionals on the EIA process. Two follow-up EIA courses were conducted in Brazil for a total of 50 participants from governmental, non- governmental, and academic institutions, with six of the Brazilian trainees acting as trainers, assisted by EPA and the other GCC grantees. The fact that over 200 applications were received for these courses indicates the importance attributed to the subject and the need for this kind of training in the Amazon region. Several of the individuals trained in these courses were instrumental in conducting public hearings for a proposed kaolin mine in the State of Para. As a result of these hearings, mining plans were modified and state-level legislation was proposed to create a check-off fund from mineral revenues to be applied to local environmental projects. The sequence of training activities appears to have gone well and has strengthened awareness of the importance of the topic and enhanced the multiplier effect of the training. All trainees gave both the content and the methodology of the training good ratings, though some participants expected that the training would focus on specific tools and techniques for conducting EIAs, rather than on the overall EIA process. This indicates a strong demand for a course on specific tools for EIA, in addition to the one on the EIA process. Project activities that still need to be completed include: identification and support of a local organization to serve as repository for course materials and EIA information; pilot delivery of the EIA tools course; a workshop on the use and development of EIA review guidelines for at least one economic sector in the Amazon; and a final report on project activities. Two lessons were learned. (1) To be successful, the EPA component of the GCC Program must: (a) create partnerships that build capacity and expertise for resolving Brazilian environmental problems; (b) help build local institutional capacity and participation of governmental bodies and civil society in environmental management, in particular in the EIA process; and (c) make more effective use of existing mechanisms (e.g., the Memorandum of Understanding with IBAMA, the Brazilian environmental institute, to increase EPA"s impact and presence in Brazil. (2) The collaboration on EIA training has gone particularly well, with important results in increased awareness and understanding of the assessment process, but EPA"s long-term experience in this area could be used more effectively with a larger in-country presence. The opportunities that exist within EPA"s International Program should be better disseminated and the agency should strengthen its contacts in Brazil.