On 1 June 2007, the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia), together with representatives from the Norwegian Air Research Institute (NILU), Sino-Italian Cooperation Program for Environmental Protection, and the US Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) and US Environmental Protection Agency, and Tsinghua University presented to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) the preliminary design of the Chinese Improved Training for Air Quality Management (CITSAM) Program.
The program aims to institutionalize air quality management (AQM) training in China. The program will be implemented in a phased manner. In the first phase three outputs are planned: (1) t will develop courses and deliver training on AQM to senior decision makers; (2) design the detailed training system on AQM, and (3) develop and deliver a number of technical courses to AQM professionals in government and enterprises. It is planned that at least 800 persons will be trained the first phase of 18 months. This includes government officials and staff (e.g., senior level officials in provinces and cities and for technical staff of the environmental protection bureaus), enterprises, and other key stakeholders.
CAI-Asia will take the lead in drafting the program design to be submitted to SEPA by 30 July 2007. Among the principles that will guide the program design are:
- Training content will have a direct linkage to SEPA’s air quality priorities
- AQM and climate change mitigation are directly related and can be combined in a co-benefit approach
- Training program complements existing training rather than replace them
- Emphasis on long-term system development rather than short term, ad hoc training
- Emphasis on strengthening Chinese capabilities to develop and deliver training and further improve the AQM training system
- Attention to be given to strengthen capacity at the provincial and city levels
- Measures to improve air quality result from an integrated air quality management process
- Effective and successful training can be measured in terms of impact
The preliminary program design was the result of weeklong consultations with SEPA, its affiliated institutes (e.g., Center for Environmental Education and Communication, Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning), Tsinghua University, development partners (e.g., Asian Development Bank, French Embassy, Norwegian Embassy, UK Department for International Development, World Bank, World Bank Institute).
A roundtable discussion was held on 28 May 2007 with the Division Heads from three SEPA departments participating: Personnel Department, Pollution Control Department, and the Foreign Economic Cooperation Office.
Agenda
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