Texas/Bangladesh partnership works toward cleaner environment

The cooperative effort--called the Texas-Bangladesh Joint Initiative on Environmental Management Systems and Pollution Prevention--establishes an ongoing partnership between Bangladeshi and Texas industries. The partnership will include technology transfer for environmental management and pollution prevention in two target Bangladeshi industries, fertilizers and leather tanning. It will also develop markets for exporting environmental technologies and expertise from Texas.

Under the training aspect of the project, Texas experts will work with Bangladesh representatives who will later teach local industry professionals about environmental management systems and pollution prevention. Training will include such topics as developing and implementing environmental audits and procedures, record-keeping, and inspection.

In addition to providing training, the initiative will also identify opportunities for improved water and wastewater treatment, management of toxic wastes, pollution prevention, and energy conservation.

The initiative involves a consortium of public and private sector organizations from Texas, led by the LBJ School and including the Lower Colorado River Authority and various for-profit engineering firms. The LBJ School has a long-standing relationship with Bangladesh on environmental matters and has been involved in an exchange program with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology since 1993.