The Conservation Cut-astrophe

Why the freeze on US Aid is a cold shoulder to the wild world

By Lawrence Avery, Head of Programmes & Policy.

The Trump Administration’s decision to freeze all US foreign aid spending and to abolish USAID, the US Government’s international development agency, will have devastating consequences for some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people. Some of the life and death impacts of this disastrous decision have been well documented elsewhere, such as shutting down vital HIV programmes, providing food in areas stricken by famine, and removing landmines from areas where children live and play.

The consequences for conservation have been less discussed but are equally devastating. Many of DSWF’s field partners were recipients of funding from USAID, for vital work including anti-poaching patrols, investigations into the illegal wildlife trade, and for community programmes supporting those who live close to wildlife. The funding they received from the US ceased immediately, giving them no time to prepare and seek alternative funding. The real-life consequences are obvious… more poaching, more wildlife crime, and fewer people and communities provided with vital support and education programmes. The wildlife and people affected are not simply statistics but individuals we have known, supported and worked with for decades and our hearts break for the life altering impact this will have on so many.

The rhetoric used against USAID has been dangerous, demagogic, and ultimately false. Trump described it as being run by ‘lunatic radicals’ while Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, described it as a ‘criminal organisation.’ These are the words of increasingly authoritarian figures who have made clear their lack of interest in the environment and our planet. The policy will also have a devasting impact on the US across the world, trashing its global reputation.
In the short term, however, it will be the rest of the world, particularly the poorest countries, who suffer the most. Tim Redford, who heads up Freeland’s tiger conservation work in Thailand, which DSWF has long supported, sets out the huge benefits that US funding has previously delivered, and implicitly the consequences of it being withdrawn:

“U.S. government funding plays a vital role in protecting endangered species, preserving biodiversity while supporting economic growth. This support generates employment, reduces migration, and strengthens local economies by promoting legal livelihoods and tourism, directly benefiting communities living alongside wildlife.”

As well as cutting funding, the United States will now also be a huge impediment to securing and delivering global agreements on crucial issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. At CITES, the United States, if present at all, will undoubtedly take the side of those promoting increased trade in wildlife. And the attack on the US’s domestic conservation programmes has already begun, with the mass firing of National Park and Forest service workers, and with protected areas being lined up for oil and gas drilling.

Providing funding to vital international developmental and conservation programmes internationally makes sense from a ‘soft power’ perspective, but most fundamentally, it is the right thing to do. The world is extremely unequal, and in the absence of more fundamental change, development assistance is one of the few ways that richer countries can help address some of the most extreme inequalities, injustices, and legacies of violence.

DSWF are therefore extremely disappointed by the UK’s Government’s decision to also reduce its level of international aid spending, which will inevitably lead to drastic cuts in the UK’s international conservation spending. This comes at the worst possible time, given the US aid freeze, and we are now facing the prospect of a race to the bottom, with other countries likely to follow suit.

The world cannot afford rich countries to become more insular and nationalist in their approach. In the context of conservation, the world is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis and a sixth mass extinction. A huge, coordinated, international funding effort is required to help meet this profound challenge. The Global Biodiversity framework, adopted in 2022, calls for a “substantial increase in public and private financial resources – by at least USD 200 billion annually – towards addressing the nature-related funding gap” and this is likely a significant underestimate. In the current political climate, there is no chance this target will be reached.

DSWF is therefore more grateful than ever for every single one of our supporters, who generously and selflessly dedicate their hard-earned money to the hugely important conservation projects that we support. Given the current crisis, individual giving and the generosity of people, not governments, is going to be even more crucial in helping address the biodiversity crisis and ensure the security, stability and survival of wildlife during this turbulent and volatile time.

Help us protect endangered species by making a one-off donation today.

Donate today