USAID and Biodiversity
Conservation
Biodiversity Conservation in Agriculture Symposium
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
May 31 - June 2, 2006
USAID’s Mission
USAID contributes to U.S. national interests
by supporting the people of developing and
transitional countries in their efforts to
achieve sustainable economic and social
progress and to participate more fully in
resolving the problems of their countries
and the world.
What is USAID?
• The U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) is the lead US federal
agency providing foreign assistance and
humanitarian aid to the developing world.
• USAID is a key component of U.S. foreign
policy.
• Total budget for 2004 was about $9.5 billion
($4.5 billion jointly managed with State
Dept.)
Total 2004 U.S. International Biodiversity Funding
USAID
$169,472,543
Treasury Department (GEF & TFCA)
$66,000,000
Fish & Wildlife Service
$17,700,000
State Department
$6,360,000
Forest Service
$6,000,000
National Park Service
Total
$846,000
$266,378,543
What USAID Does
The Agency works in 7 areas critical to achieving
both economic and social development and
advancing U.S. foreign policy objectives
•
•
•
•
Economic growth & trade
Agriculture
Global health
Conservation of natural
resources
• Democracy and governance
• Education
• Humanitarian assistance.
How USAID Does Its Work
• With headquarters in Washington, D.C.,
USAID's strength is its field offices around
the world.
• USAID works in close partnership with
private voluntary and indigenous
organizations, universities, businesses,
international agencies, foreign governments,
and other U.S. government agencies.
• USAID has working relationships with more
than 3,500 companies and over 300 private
voluntary organizations.
USAID’s in Situ Biodiversity Program
• USAID invested over $165 million in
biodiversity conservation in Fiscal Year 2005.
• 85% of funds are programmed by USAID’s
field missions, and managed by
environment professionals in the field. The
remainder is programmed globally through
Washington, DC.
USAID Biodiversity Expenditures 1987-2004
Evolution of Conservation Funding
Ad hoc
Protection
based on
ecology
(species)
Conservation
including social
considerations
(ICDP)
Strategic
Geographic
Conservation
priorities
Threats-based
conservation
USAID Biodiversity Expenditures 1987-2004
USAID’s Biodiversity Funding By Region- 2004
Illustrative Conservation Approaches
USAID takes a threats and opportunitiesbased approach to biodiversity conservation.
• Landscape-Level Conservation
• Sustainable Use and Market-Based
Mechanisms
• Community-Based Conservation
• Protected Areas Management
• Environmental Education and
Communication
• Policy Development and Reform
Biodiversity Program Principles
• Programs should apply a threats and
opportunities-based approach
• Programs should be participatory and foster
sustainability
• Programs should strengthen in-country
capacity
• Programs should focus on priority sites
WWF Ecoregions
CI Hotspots and Wilderness areas
Biodiversity Program Principles
• Programs should be results oriented
• Programs should complement other
conservation activities
and fill critical gaps.
• Programs should
include learning
and be adaptive.
Threats
• Threats are the factors that negatively affect
biodiversity, and;
• Threats should be identified at the level at
which the threat abatement can be
undertaken.
The Threats-based Conservation Approach
• Identify the site, scale, and conservation targets,
• Identify direct threats to biodiversity,
• Prioritize threats,
• Develop conservation interventions to address high
priority threats, and
• Apply adaptive management techniques.
Weak Example of Links
THREAT
ACTIVITY
Poverty
Develop alternative
economic activities
Lack of environmental
awareness
Distribution of
environmental
education materials
Timber concession
threatening site
Radio programs for
communities on
environmental
awareness
Improved Links
Threat
Conversion Habitat
degredation
Effect on
Source of conservation
Threat
target
Logging
company
concessions
Species
Bushmeat
exploitation/ for local and
overharvesting
urban
markets
Activity
Loss of forest
habitat for
elephants
Best practice
agreements between
company and
government
Loss of
mammal
species
Increase enforcement
capacity
Develop alternative
sources of protein
Over-extraction of forest resources by
communities
• Goal: Ecologically and financially sustainable forest
management
• Mitigation: Community-based forest management
• Strength:
– Inclusion of communities in all steps of the process,
including threats analysis
– Communities identify and rank threats
– Communities implement management actions
Habitat fragmentation - overgrazing
• Goal: Increase area for biodiversity & wildlife migration
• Mitigation: Work with relevant stakeholders to develop
large scale management plans
• Strengths:
– Land-use decision-making devolved to communities
– Stakeholder participation at all levels of planning and
implementation
– Conservation solutions matched with economic
opportunities
People and Conservation
• Threats develop from local, national and international
needs and interests
• Whenever possible, benefits from threats-based
solutions should benefit local communities
• Mitigate conservation costs incurred by local
communities
USAID Biodiversity Program Profile: Madagascar
• High level of:
biodiversity, threat,
opportunity
• Strong Malagasy
Government
commitment
• USAID $8.32 mill.
Biodiversity in 2004
• USAID program
focus areas
USAID Biodiversity Program Profile: Nepal
• USAID $1.42 mill.
Biodiversity in 2004
• Effective programs
in face of conflict
• USAID program
focus areas
USAID Biodiversity Program Profile: CBFP
•Congo Basin Forest Partnership / Central
African Reg. Program for the Environment
•USAID $16 mill.
Biodiversity in 2004
•Landscape scale
conservation of the
Congo Basin
USAID Biodiversity Program Profile: GCP
• GCP: The Global
Conservation
Program
• USAID $6.2 mill.
Biodiversity in 2004
• Conservation in 17
priority land and
seascapes globally
» Photo: The Nature Conservancy Komodo Island Land and Seascape
USAID: promoting threats based conservation
• Prioritize funding on opportunities that focus
on threats-based approach
• Work with partners to develop sound
emphasis on local community involvement
and benefits
• Develop biodiversity activities in concert with
other sectors - democracy and governance,
agriculture, economic growth, and health
Websites for Further Information
USAID Biodiversity Programs
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/biodiversity/
USAID LAC/Environment Programs
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/environment/
U.S. Forest Service International Programs
www.fs.fed.us/global/
Tropical Forest Conservation Act
www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/forestry/tfca.html
Conservation Finance Alliance
http://www.conservationfinance.org/
Thank You!