New Jersey Governor, Christie Whitman, has been picked by President-Elect George W. Bush as the new Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The League of Conservation Voters stated that, "we are cautiously optimistic about the direction that Governor Bush appears to be moving with some of his environmental appointments." The League of Conservation Voters Political Director, Betsy Loyless, stated that, "while Governor Whitman has been criticized by state environmental groups for her record on protecting the state's air and water, she has also promoted environmentally responsible programs in her state. Her appointment could be an important indicator that Bush, who as governor appointed only industry representatives to head Texas' environmental agency, is willing to move in the right direction on environmental issues." Whitman, who has served as New Jersey governor since 1993, has compiled a mixed record when it comes to the environmental protection. She supported legislation providing $10 million for the preservation of Sterling Forest. She has also been a strong proponent of smart growth in her state. Her administration has developed an award-winning sustainable development program that aims to protect open space, redevelop urban areas, discourage new, sprawling development, and encourage environmentally sustainable business practices such as recycling, energy conservation and pollution reduction.

Christie Whitman was a strong supporter of a bond program approved by New Jersey voters in 1998 to purchase open space, as well as a 1999 bill to provide funding to preserve 1 million acres of land in the state by 2009. However, Whitman has come under fire from state environmentalists for making staff cuts at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Critics argue that a number of her actions and policies have limited the ability of the state environmental agency to monitor and enforce pollution controls. For example, under her tenure 2000 chemicals were delisted from the state right-to-know list of toxic substances. Bush is expected to name his choice for the EPA this week. Gov. Whitman proposed the state's first stable source of funding for land preservation, a 10-year plan to save forever 1 million acres of open space and farmland. By 2010, New Jersey will have permanently preserved 40 percent of its total landmass, with more than half of it pledged or preserved during her tenure. Gov. Whitman has energized the State Development and Redevelopment Plan to encourage new growth in cities and other areas where roads, sewerage, and schools are already in place. The state's ocean water quality has improved significantly, as beach closings reached a record low during her tenure. Gov. Whitman was formerly headed the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the Somerset County Board of Freeholders. Born on September 26, 1946, in New York City, she was raised in Hunterdon County and earned a bachelor's degree in government from Wheaton College in Massachusetts in 1968. She and her husband, John Whitman, live in Oldwick. They have two children, Kate and Taylor. Visit the Governor of New Jersey's website at http://www.state.nj.us/governor/bio.html . Source, thank you Colin Isaacs, Contemporary Information Analysis (CIA), from U.S. Newswire, Washington, December 21, 2000. You can see the League of Conservation Voters website at http://www.lcv.org.

The Willms & Shier environmental law firm based in Toronto reported that a recently disclosed MOE internal document obtained under Freedom of Information legislation reveals that, "the MOE has been under increasing pressure to make more orders and lay more charges. The recent release of the Provincial Auditor's critique of the MOE's Operations Division has added fuel to the fire." Willms & Shier reported that, "the MOE memo calls for strict compliance with the MOE's Compliance Guideline F-2 (http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/gp/F2.pdf). Abatement staff need to get written authorization from the District Manager to use voluntary abatement measures instead of orders." However, Willms & Shier warned that, "the underfunded and understaffed Ministry has responded to the pressure by issuing more 'provincial officer orders' (formerly known as 'field orders'). These orders are often drafted quickly and have short appeal periods. In some cases the MOE may still give you prior notice of intent to issue an order, and provide draft terms." For more information contact email [log in to unmask], or go to their website at http://www.willmsshier.com

The Pembina Institute is pleased to be co-chairing The Second Annual "Global Conference on Environmental Taxation Issues, Experience and Potential". The conference will be held April 1 to 3, 2000 in Vancouver, British Columbia. The conference will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, information and research findings among scholars, executives, tax professionals, non-governmental organizations and policy makers focussed on environmental taxation issues, experience and potential throughout the world. A request for papers has been issued. Academics, practitioners, executives, non-government and government officials are invited to participate in the conference. Paper presentations, panel discussions, and workshops on worldwide environmental taxation issues, experience and potential and other related environmental topics (accounting, economics, law, etc.) are invited. Submitted papers will be blind-reviewed. Major topics of interest include, but are not limited to the use of taxation as an instrument of environmental policy; restructuring existing taxes in an environmentally friendly manner; political, social and economic issues of environmental taxation; designing and implementing environmental taxes; environmental taxation incentives (e.g., tax credits for purchase of electric vehicles, etc.); taxes with environmental implications (e.g., excise tax on petrol/gasoline); vehicle-related taxes and environmental implications (e.g., sales taxes, excise taxes, registration fees, luxury car tax, gas gussler tax, etc.); and, environmental taxation of energy (e.g., electricity, natural gas, etc.). Contact Aida Burgos, BCIT Venture Development Centre, 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC V5G 3H2, ph. (604) 453-4018, or ph. 604.436.0286, Fax: (604) 436-0286, email [log in to unmask]

The Air & Waste Management Association's Canada Wide Standards Conference is the first of its kind sponsored by the Association. It is a two-day conference and will be held at the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre, 525 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario (P: 416-597-9200), March 7-8, 2001. This conference will feature discussions with leading experts, regulators, and government officials. It will be an excellent opportunity to get a general overview of the Canada-Wide Standards, as well as hear details on some specific standards that concern many. Specifically, the conference will feature sessions on PM and Ozone Standards, Mercury and Hydrocarbons in Soil, and Dioxins, Furans and Benzene set out by the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of the networking and gain insight into critical issues related to the Canada Wide Standards that could affect you and your organization. For more details and registration information visit the A&WMA website at http://www.awma.org or call A&WMA's member services department at 1-800-270-3444 ext. 3127.

CHROMIUM 6 TOXICS IN CALIFORNIA DRINKING WATER

Remember Erin Brockovich. Well, she is at it again. This time she has found Chromium 6 in the drinking water supply of the whole of the San Fernando Valley, just on the other side of the mountains from Los Angeles. Nearly 200 industrial sites around the San Fernando Valley are being examined for evidence of the pollutant, which can cause cancer or other serious illnesses from extensive exposure. Sales of bottled water are booming and schools are sending parents reassuring letters about water safety. A nearby city, Glendale, has postponed using any well water. And the real-life inspiration for the film "Erin Brockovich," a tale of a feisty woman's heroic fight to uncover the dangers of chromium 6 in a California desert town, is back on the case. When inhaled as dust, chromium 6 is widely considered to be a carcinogen, but scientists are still debating the dangers it may pose when ingested. "There's significant concern," said Adam Schiff, a state senator in the valley who was elected to Congress last month. "All of us are taking a long look at the water now before we drink it down." The furor is familiar here. The San Fernando Valley, for decades was a pollution haven. Now it is a region that is constantly is trying to recover from its reckless and clueless environmental past. Its air and water have been pummelled for decades from byproducts of military manufacturing and runaway population growth.

A state crackdown on the industrial chemical byproduct, chromium 6, for example, could shut wells across the valley. And that could force one of the most densely populated--and fastest-growing--parts of greater Los Angeles to scrounge once more for new sources of water at a time when soaring populations in other desert communities in the West are making it ever more scarce. "We don't currently have enough water for our growth needs," said David Beckman, a lawyer in the Los Angeles office of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "So when you start talking about taking major sources of it out of service because of contamination, it's potentially a really bad situation. But they might have to do that. The San Fernando Valley was a hub for aerospace industry giants such as Lockheed Martin. The company had a large manufacturing plant in Burbank for more than 50 years where chromium 6 was used. The toxic chemical also is not just turning up in worrisome amounts around industrial wastelands. Recent county tests have shown possible contamination near schools, libraries and health clinics. At some of those sites, water faucets and fountains are being forsaken. "Parents are asking a lot of questions," said Joan Graves, a staff member at William McKinley Elementary School. "Everyone wants more information, but it sounds like that could take awhile. Source, "Fear of Toxin in Tap Water Rocks California Valley", by Rene Sanchez, Washington Post , Washington, D.C., December 8, 2000. See the full story at http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39797-2000Dec7.html

Mexico was urged November 24, 2000, in an international declaration, Tapu Te Ranga, to release the Mexican farmer environmentalists, Rodolfo Montiel Flores and Teodoro Cabrera Garcia, who were imprisoned by the Mexican Government last year after being conviction on trumped up charges following their peaceful opposition to Boise Cascade Inc. logging in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The Tapu Te Ranga declaration was issued in Wellington, New Zealand at the close of a three day international meeting on forests and forest protection. A copy of the request for release was presented to the Mexican Embassy in Wellington and to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. The Tapu Te Ranga declaration original was sent to Mexico's President Vicente Fox and other Mexican authorities, is designed to help the environmentalists and to pressure Mexico to stop the logging in Guerrero where 40% of the forests have been stripped away in the last eight years. The citizen's groups in New Zealand reported that, "Montiel and Cabrera were detained for opposing logging on land made available for logging to local landowners who in turn make deals with huge timber companies. Corruption is endemic and seems to involve politically powerful landowners, the army, paramilitary groups, the police and the timber companies" The Declaration also calls for an end to the harassment of Montiel and Cabrera's colleague environmentalist farmers in the Oganizacion de Campesinos Ecologistsas de la Sierro de Petatlan y Coyuca de Catalan. In late October 2000, urgent appeals for help were issued for help for group members who are reportedly facing death threats from soldiers and paramilitary groups. Amnesty International has adopted Montiel and Cabrera as prisoners of conscience and is now also very concerned about their colleagues too. The delegation to the Mexican Embassy and to the New Zealand Prime Minister included Juan Carlos Beas Torres, representative of UCIZONI, an indigenous community union from Oaxaca, Mexico; Anatoly Lebedev, of the Taiga [forest] Rescue Network, Vladivostok, Russia; Pat Rasmussen, American Lands Alliance, USA; Dr Leonie van der Maesen, Friends of the Earth International, University of Utrecht, Amsterdam; Orin Langelle, of Native Forest Network and Action for Community and Ecology in the Regions of Central America; and Cath Wallace, of the Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand. The conference was organised by the global Native Forests Network and Native Forests Action, New Zealand. For further information, contact Cath Wallace, ++64-4-389-1696 (home) or ++64-4-463-5713 (w) or email [log in to unmask] .

Amnesty International reports that "peasant environmentalists (campesinos ecologistas) trying to protect the forests in Mexico's southern state of Guerrero from overexploitation are reportedly facing death threats from soldiers and so-called paramilitary groups". Amnesty International is concerned for their safety. Activist Juan Bautista has reportedly said, 'We've been accused of the lot, of being members of the armed opposition group EPR, of carrying weapons. All of these accusations are lies. The only thing we've done is protect the forests and water resources.' ('Nos han acusado de todo, de ser del EPR [un grupo alzado en armas], de portar armas. Todo eso es mentira. Lo unico que hemos hecho es defender los bosques y el agua.') Juan Bautista is a founder member of the peasant environmentalist organisation Organizacion de Campesinos Ecologistas de la Sierra de Petatlan y Coyuca de Catalan. He was speaking at a 26 October 2000 meeting (encuentro) in Banco Nuevo, set up by the organisation. He and the other activists listed above told journalists, politicians and local and federal environment officials that soldiers and so-called paramilitary groups acting with their acquiescence were harassing and threatening to kill them. A week before the meeting, on 18 October, the peasant environmentalists had led a march (caravana) to Banco Nuevo calling for the protection of Guerrero's forests and the release of environmentalist prisoners of conscience Rodolfo Montiel Flores and Teodoro Cabrera Garcia (UA 144/99 issued 25 June 1999).

An officer commanding some 40 soldiers which intercepted the march claimed the soldiers were deployed to control drug-trafficking and apply the Federal Law on Firearms (Ley Federal de Armas). The environmentalists denied this, saying the troops were intent on stopping their lawful activities. Mexico's 1917 Constitution, introduced during the Mexican Revolution, sought to break up the estates of landowners (hacendados) by making provision for the creation of communal land holdings (ejidos), owned by peasant ejidatarios. However, a significant proportion of rural land holdings remained in private hands. In 1992, however, a radical change to the Constitution allowed the land reforms to be reversed, by permitting ejidos to be sold or let to domestic and foreign corporations. Supporters of the change argued that it would benefit the ejidatarios economically. Critics argued that the opposite was true. Logging operations have for long been conducted by ejidatarios and private landowners in Guerrero state. Boise Cascade, a USA-based corporation involved in the manufacture of wood products, reported that in 1995 it began buying logs from ejidatarios and private landowners for processing in a Boise Cascade saw-mill in Guerrero, but that these operations were closed in 1998. A year later Mexican environmentalists claimed that Boise Cascade had signed a deal in 1995 with Ruben Figueroa Alcocer, a former Governor of Guerrero, for exclusive rights to purchase logs from ejidos in Guerrero. Months later Boise Cascade denied these claims. Nevertheless, it was excessive logging which, in 1998, led to the formation of the Organizacion de Campesinos Ecologistas de la Sierra de Petatlan y Coyuca de Catalan. According to them excessive logging continues to this day, to the benefit of local political bosses protected by the military and so-called paramilitary groups. Amnesty International takes no position on conflicts over the distribution or use of natural resources, or on the policies of governments and others with an interest in such resources. The organization, however, believes that the human rights of those involved in such conflicts, including their right to life, must be fully respected. For more information contact the Non-governmental Human Rights organization, Centro de Derechos Humanos 'Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez' A.C., Serapio Rendon 57-B, Col. San Rafael, Mexico D.F. 06470, Mexico. And for information contact, Urgent Action Network, Amnesty International USA, PO Box 1270, Nederland, Colorado 80466-1270, Ph. 303 258 1170, Fax 303 258 7881, Email [log in to unmask] Visit the website http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgact/

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THE 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN

MEXICO AND LATIN AMERICA

This seminar, designed for contractors, suppliers and consultants, will focus on procurement and contracting opportunities with the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and the North American Development Bank, with particular emphasis on environmental projects in Mexico and Latin America. Participants will be given a perspective on how environmental projects are developed through the multilateral development banks' process including bidding and other procedures for obtaining contracts pertaining to equipment, civil works and consulting. Special topics to be presented are e-commerce bidding and anti- corruption measures. Opportunities will also be available for participants to meet individually with procurement staff from the three multilateral banks at the conclusion of the event. Cost of the seminar, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch and cocktail reception, is $95 per person. For more information, please contact the Free Trade Alliance San Antonio by Tel: (210) 229-9036, Fax: (210) 229-9724.

In June 1972, the United Nations hosted the world's most important conference on the environment, the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Canada's Maurice Strong was the Secretary General. The twenty anniversary event was held in 1992 at the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Earth Summit. That was when "Agenda 21" was adopted and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were formalized. Now the 30 years anniversary will be hosted by the United Nations June 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. It will be called "The World Summit on Sustainable Development", otherwise known as the meeting of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (UNCSD) Rio+10. It is intended to take stock of progress made towards environmental protection and restoration in the ten years since the Rio summit. Rio+10 is expected to build on Agenda 21, the plan of work agreed upon at the Earth Summit to conserve and protect the environment. The most important issues the review should focus on are poverty and environment, and resource efficiency, said government delegates to an April 2000 meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development. One of the review's main outcomes should be a worldwide sustainable energy strategy, they said. Among the other suggested topics were the link between poverty and environment, the reversal of the decline of natural resources, and the move towards sustainable production and consumption patterns. The majority of delegations felt the review should not renegotiate the agreements made in Rio but rather focus on further efforts for its implementation.

Jabu Mabuza, CEO of Tsogo Sun, owners of Sandton Convention Centre, said that the Sandton Convention Centre, outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, will be the venue for the ministerial portion of the global summit. Mabuza said the event would likely attract about 64,000 local and international delegates, including over 100 heads of government. The 1992 Rio Earth Summit attracted 181 heads of state and heads of government. However, Johannesburg may be a poor choice. It is very dangerous and crime-ridden. The danger has resulted in a virtual vacating of the city centre of Johannesburg by regular businesses and government services. Few people are safe downtown. During a recent visit to Johannesburg by members of the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, we drove from gated enclaves to fenced in shopping centres with drivers carrying guns for defence.. Source, "Johannesburg Chosen for World Environment Summit in 2002", Environment News Service (ENS), Johannesburg, South Africa, December 11, 2000. See the full story at http://ens-news.com/ens/dec2000/2000L-12-11-02.html .

The Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, in collaboration with other agencies has created a Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database. It is a searchable database of summaries and full text of 150 water-related treaties. The summaries are catalogued by basin, countries involved, date signed, treaty topic, allocations measure, conflict resolution mechanisms, and non-water linkages. It also has a database of 39 interstate compacts within the United States, as well as negotiating notes and other primary and secondary sources for 14 case studies of the processes of international water conflict resolution. It contains descriptions of indigenous/traditional methods for the resolution of water disputes and news files and bibliographic entries of acute water conflicts. It has a digitized inventory of international watersheds and an annotated bibliography of the state of the art of Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Resolution. As well, it contains sites related to the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database Project and publications produced by the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database Project. Contributors to the Database include Shira Yoffe and Brian Ward - Oregon State University, Jesse Hamner - Emory University, Jeff Natharius - Alabama Department of Water Resources, Shane Underwood - University of Alabama, Jan Pender - Legacy, Inc., Jeffrey J. Danielson - Raytheon, and EROS Data Center. For more information contact Dr. Aaron T. Wolf, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University, 104 Wilkinson Hall, Corvallis, Oregon 97331-5506, ph. 541-737-2722, Fax 541-737-1200. Visit the website at http://terra.geo.orst.edu/users/tfdd/

The Science, Technology and Innovation Program of Harvard University distributes information on research and training opportunities on issues related to science, technology, environment and development. The program is a joint activity of the Center for International Development at Harvard University with Dr. Calestous Juma. See their website at http://www.cid.harvard.edu/ , and the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. See their website at http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/BCSIA/BCSIA.nsf/www/Home. If you would like to be added to their mailing list, please contact Emily Spengler and email [log in to unmask] ,or subcribe to the list directly by sending an e-mail message to <[log in to unmask]>. Visit the website at <http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidtech/>

On January 29th, 2001, the GLOBE Foundation of Canada, based in Vancouver, B.C., will recognize the corporations and industrial sectors that have demonstrated outstanding environmental leadership and that have been instrumental in accelerating the business and environment agenda. The winners will be presented with The GLOBE Awards for Environmental Excellence. The awards have been designed to recognize excellence in corporate, industrial and technological areas on both an individual and sectoral basis and are broken down into four categories, the Corporate Competitiveness Award; the Industry Award for Technology Innovation; the Corporate Award for Technology Application; and, the Industry Sector Award for Environmental Performance. As the 'New Economy' pushes onward, undergoing a steadfast evolution towards an increasingly vibrant, more resourceful, innovation-oriented marketplace, companies are searching for new ways to differentiate themselves. Those that are leveraging their investments in environmental leadership are coming out on top, translating improvements in operational efficiency, stakeholder relations and technology innovation into competitive advantage. These leading companies have introduced a new component into the competitiveness game and are rapidly forging a new path towards an economy characterized by higher levels of share value and increasingly innovative technology development and application. The awards will be inaugurated and first presented at the "Green Tie Gala", the flagship social event of the EECO Conference on Environment and Energy being held January 29th in Toronto, Ontario. Complete award descriptions, criteria and nomination forms are available on the EECO website at http://www.eeco2000.com

Draft United Kingdom water industry rules will place the onus on water companies to protect the environment. New legislation threatens tougher fines to protect the citizens. Under the bill, which will has been circulated for consultation, courts would be able to impose fines of up to 20,000 pounds on companies supplying water not fit for consumption. Tougher powers for regulators will include fines of up to 10 percent of turnover for firms that break their conditions of licence. "I am determined to ensure that consumers receive a better deal," Environment Minister Michael Meacher said. The government plans to impose a statutory duty on water companies to conserve water and a licensing system that prevents unnecessary damage to wildlife and the environment. Source, "UK plans Environmental Fines for Water Firms", London, Reuters News Service, Planet Ark, November 7, 2000. See the full story at http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=8827

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved new regulations to ban the annual dumping of 700,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the Great Lakes, including mercury, dioxin and pesticide discharges blamed for harming fish and wildlife. EPA issued a final rule banning the discharge of most toxic chemicals through the practice of "mixing zones," a long-used method of disposing many toxic chemicals at a set point in a body of water. The theory has been that the dilution of the chemicals in surrounding waters justifies less protective dumping standards within the zone. "Today's action will dramatically reduce the toxic chemicals that threaten those waters," said EPA Administrator Carol Browner in a statement issued by the agency. "The solution to pollution is not dilution. And that is why the time has come to phase out the practice of 'mixing zones' in the Great Lakes," she said. EPA estimated that of the approximately 600 major industrial and municipal facilities with disposal permits in the Great Lake basin, around half discharge toxic bioaccumulative chemicals of concern into mixing zones. Existing zones, according to EPA, will be phased-out over a 10-year period and no new mixing are allowed. Three of the eight Great Lake states - New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania - will have 18 months to adopt the rule. The other five Great lake states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin - already have outlawed mixing zones, EPA said. Source, "US EPA Takes Action to Clean Great Lakes of Toxicity", Washington, D.C., November 6, 2000. See the full story at the website http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=8799.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has created a new grants program for pollution prevention initiatives. The US EPA and the Environmental Finance Center, Region IX, are jointly sponsoring the Mini-Grant Program for Local Governments. This program was established to promote effective technical assistance to business by providing seed money for local governments to form partnerships with other media agencies (e.g., air, water, waste), utilities and/or associations operating within their jurisdictions to build local Multi-agency Assistance Programs (MAPs). The amounts available will range from US $8,000 to $20,000 per MAP. Smaller grants may be considered for printing, production and/or development of materials. Monies may be used for staff salaries, professional consultation/ facilitation/training, development/reproduction of materials, promotion, etc. Required Match: At least two MAP partners must match with at least 5% cash each (total 10% cash match). Applications must be postmarked by January 22, 2001. Mail applications to Sarah M. Diefendorf, Executive Director, Environmental Finance Center, Region IX, Alameda Point, 851 West Midway Ave., Alameda, California 94501-5012, Ph. 415-664-4715, Fax 415-664-1675, http://www.greenstart.org/efc9 . Applications may also be emailed by 5:00pm January 22, 2001 to email [log in to unmask] . e-mail request to Sarah Diefendorf, Executive Director, EFC9 at [log in to unmask] She can also send you a PDF file with a sample document for measuring and reporting project results. If you would like paper copies of the solicitation and accompanying document (either by fax or snail mail) please feel free to email Sarah or contact her at Ph: 415-664-4715, Fx: 415-664-1675.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi and an international team of water experts in Kalmar, Sweden, launched a website devoted to global water assessment and information on aquatic ecosystems for both freshwater and oceans. The web page was launched at the opening of the Third Global Meeting of the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, November 10, 2000, in Monaco. The project, known as the Global International Waters Assessment (GIWA), represents the cooperative efforts of UNEP, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the University of Kalmar, the Swedish Government and more than 100 water quality centres around the world. This international team will look at the pressures caused by human activities upon these ecosystems, and the possible target areas and activities needed to protect the ecological systems and the water supplies. The GIWA Web site will support informative maps that allow citizens to access data and information about the Earth's major water systems. For more information, please contact: Mr. Goran Rudbock, Liaison Officer, Global International Waters Assessment, Kalmar, Sweden, tel: (46-480) 44-7352, fax: 44-7355, e-mail: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask], web: www.giwa.net; or Beth Ingraham, Information Officer, UNEP Division of Environmental Information Assessment and Early Warning, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: (254-2) 62-4299, fax: 62-4269, e-mail [log in to unmask], Visit the website at Web site http://www.giwa.net .