§2151p. Environmental and natural resources
(a) Congressional statement of findings
The Congress finds that if current trends in the degradation of natural resources in developing countries continue, they will severely undermine the best efforts to meet basic human needs, to achieve sustained economic growth, and to prevent international tension and conflict. The Congress also finds that the world faces enormous, urgent, and complex problems, with respect to natural resources, which require new forms of cooperation between the United States and developing countries to prevent such problems from becoming unmanageable. It is, therefore, in the economic and security interest of the United States to provide leadership both in thoroughly reassessing policies relating to natural resources and the environment, and in cooperating extensively with developing countries in order to achieve environmentally sound development.
(b) Assistance authority and emphasis
In order to address the serious problems described in subsection (a), the President is authorized to furnish assistance under subchapter I of this chapter for developing and strengthening the capacity of developing countries to protect and manage their environment and natural resources. Special efforts shall be made to maintain and where possible to restore the land, vegetation, water, wildlife, and other resources upon which depend economic growth and human well-being, especially of the poor.
(c) Implementation considerations applicable to programs and projects
(1) The President, in implementing programs and projects under this part and part X of this subchapter, shall take fully into account the impact of such programs and projects upon the environment and natural resources of developing countries. Subject to such procedures as the President considers appropriate, the President shall require all agencies and officials responsible for programs or projects under this part and part X of this subchapter-
(A) to prepare and take fully into account an environmental impact statement for any program or project under this part and part X of this subchapter significantly affecting the environment of the global commons outside the jurisdiction of any country, the environment of the United States, or other aspects of the environment which the President may specify; and
(B) to prepare and take fully into account an environmental assessment of any proposed program or project under this part and part X of this subchapter significantly affecting the environment of any foreign country.
Such agencies and officials should, where appropriate, use local technical resources in preparing environmental impact statements and environmental assessments pursuant to this subsection.
(2) The President may establish exceptions from the requirements of this subsection for emergency conditions and for cases in which compliance with those requirements would be seriously detrimental to the foreign policy interests of the United States.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Other sections 117 of
Amendments
1990-Subsec. (c)(1).
1986-Subsec. (d).
1981-
1979-Subsec. (c).
1978-
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
References to Subchapter I Deemed To Include Certain Parts of Subchapter II
References to subchapter I of this chapter are deemed to include parts IV (§2346 et seq.), VI (§2348 et seq.), and VIII (§2349aa et seq.) of subchapter II of this chapter, and references to subchapter II are deemed to exclude such parts. See section 202(b) of
Effective Date of 1979 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
Amendment by
Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals
"SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
"This Act may be cited as the 'Defending Economic Livelihoods and Threatened Animals Act' or the 'DELTA Act'.
"SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
"Congress finds the following:
"(1) The greater Okavango River Basin, which ranges from the highland plateau of Angola to northeastern Namibia and northern Botswana, and also provides critical natural resources that sustain wildlife in Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the largest freshwater watershed in southern Africa.
"(2) The greater Okavango River Basin is the main source of water and livelihoods for over 1 million people, and the effective management and protection of this critical watershed will help advance important conservation and economic growth objectives for Angola, Botswana, Namibia, local communities, and the broader region.
"(3) The greater Okavango River Basin is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the world, as well as other threatened wildlife species.
"(4) Poaching and trafficking of threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin has increased in recent years, and has the potential to undermine regional stability by disrupting local governance and management of resources, and supplanting key economic opportunities for community members.
"(5) Governments in the region have taken important steps to coordinate through existing conservation frameworks to combat trafficking, ensure responsible resource management, support local livelihoods, and protect threatened wildlife species.
"SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
"It is the sense of Congress that it is in the interest of the United States to engage, as appropriate, with the Governments of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and neighboring countries, and in partnership with donors, regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, local communities, and the private sector, to advance conservation efforts and promote economic growth and stability in the greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring watersheds and conservation areas.
"SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
"It is the policy of the United States to promote inclusive economic growth through conservation and biodiversity programs that facilitate transboundary cooperation, improve water and natural resource management, and build local capacity to protect and preserve threatened wildlife species in the greater Okavango River Basin and neighboring watersheds and conservation areas.
"SEC. 5. STRATEGY.
"(a)
"(1) create and advance a cooperative framework to promote responsible natural resource, water, and wildlife management practices in the greater Okavango River Basin;
"(2) protect traditional migration routes of elephants and other threatened wildlife species;
"(3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking;
"(4) address human health and development needs of local communities; and
"(5) catalyze economic growth in such countries and across the broader region.
"(b)
"(1) promote cooperative and responsible water, natural resource, and wildlife management policies and practices within and among the countries of Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, with a particular focus on the greater Okavango River Basin and the critical headwaters located in Angola;
"(2) protect and restore wildlife habitats and traditional migratory patterns of elephants and other threatened species;
"(3) combat wildlife poaching and trafficking in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and those areas of Zambia and Zimbabwe that border Angola, Botswana, or Namibia, including within regional and national parks and reserves, by building the capacity of the governments of such countries, local law enforcement, community leaders, and park rangers to detect, disrupt, and prosecute poachers and traffickers;
"(4) promote conservation as a foundation for inclusive economic growth and development within a comprehensive assistance strategy that places Angola, Botswana, and Namibia on a trajectory toward graduation from the need for United States foreign assistance;
"(5) identify opportunities and mechanisms to leverage regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and public-private partnerships to contribute to support the implementation of the strategy;
"(6) establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including measurable goals, objectives, and benchmarks of success, that are included in grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to ensure the effective use of United States foreign assistance; and
"(7) coordinate with and build the capacity of regional conservation frameworks in order to advance regional conservation objectives.
"SEC. 6. UNITED STATES SUPPORT.
"(a)
"(1) promote inclusive economic growth and development through responsible water and natural resource management and wildlife protection activities in the greater Okavango River Basin;
"(2) provide technical assistance to governments and local communities in Angola, Botswana, and Namibia to create a policy-enabling environment for such responsible water and natural resource management and wildlife protection activities; and
"(3) build the capacity of local law enforcement, park rangers, and community leaders to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking.
"(b)
"(c)
"(d)
"SEC. 7. REPORT.
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) the monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators used to measure performance under the strategy;
"(2) any legislative impediments to meeting the objectives of such strategy;
"(3) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia have demonstrated a commitment and willingness to cooperate to advance efforts described in section 5(b);
"(4) progress made to date in meeting the objectives of such strategy;
"(5) efforts to coordinate, deconflict, and streamline conservation programs in order to maximize resource effectiveness;
"(6) the extent to which Angola, Botswana, and Namibia and other government[s] in the region are investing resources to advance conservation initiatives; and
"(7) the extent to which other funding sources, including through private sector investment and other investment by Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, have been identified to advance conservation initiatives.
"SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
"In this Act:
"(1)
"(2)
"(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
"(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
"(3)
Clean Water for the Americas Partnership
"SEC. 641. SHORT TITLE.
"This subtitle may be cited as the 'Clean Water for the Americas Partnership Act of 2002'.
"SEC. 642. DEFINITIONS.
"In this subtitle:
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
"(4)
"(5)
"SEC. 643. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
"The President is authorized to establish a program which shall be known as the 'Clean Water for the Americas Partnership'.
"SEC. 644. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
"The President is authorized to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the environmental problems in the region to determine-
"(1) which environmental problems threaten human health the most, particularly the health of the urban poor;
"(2) which environmental problems are most threatening, in the long-term, to the region's natural resources;
"(3) which countries have the most pressing environmental problems; and
"(4) whether and to what extent there is a market for United States environmental technology, practices, knowledge, and innovations in the region.
"SEC. 645. ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY AMERICA CENTERS.
"(a)
"(b)
"(c)
"SEC. 646. PROMOTION OF WATER QUALITY, WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
"Subject to the availability of appropriations, the President is authorized to provide matching grants to United States associations and United States nonprofit entities for the purpose of promoting water quality, water treatment systems, and energy efficiency in the region. The grants shall be used to support joint projects, including professional exchanges, academic fellowships, training programs in the United States or in the region, cooperation in regulatory review, development of training materials, the establishment and development in the region of local chapters of the associations or nonprofit entities, and the development of online exchanges.
"SEC. 647. GRANTS FOR PREFEASIBILITY STUDIES WITHIN A DESIGNATED SUBREGION.
"(a)
"(1)
"(2)
"(b)
"(c)
"(d)
"(1)
"(2)
"SEC. 648. CLEAN WATER TECHNICAL SUPPORT COMMITTEE.
"(a)
"(b)
"(c)
"SEC. 649. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
"(a)
"(b)
"SEC. 650. REPORT.
"Eighteen months after the establishment of the program pursuant to section 643, the President shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees containing-
"(1) an assessment of the progress made in carrying out the program established under this subtitle; and
"(2) any recommendations for the enactment of legislation to make changes in the program established under this subtitle.
"SEC. 651. TERMINATION DATE.
"(a)
"(b)
"SEC. 652. EFFECTIVE DATE.
"This subtitle shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 2002]."
[For definition of "appropriate congressional committees" as used in subtitle D of title VI of div. A of
Executive Documents
Delegation of Functions
For delegation of functions of President under this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 12163, Sept. 29, 1979, 44 F.R. 56673, as amended, set out as a note under section 2381 of this title.