How USAID affects national parks and preservation all over the world

The money has restored coral reefs in Seychelles, helped to create a national park in Vietnam and transformed former geriljas into travel guides in Colombia. It has established tiger conservation programs and brought wildlife back to areas decimated by bloody civilian turmoil.

All of these are among the surprising programs affected by the Trump Administration’s possible shutdown of the US Agency for International Development, which, in addition to its second work, has established and maintained overseas national parks and conservation areas.

This role now has an uncertain future. On Thursday, USAID leaders found that the Trump administration was planning to cut almost all jobs on the agency and cancel hundreds of grants and contracts. The Congress Democrats say that any step to eliminate the agency could be illegal.

National parks have proven to be a stabilizing strength for countries around the world, create local businesses and jobs, protect fragile ecosystems and kick-start tourist efforts and other financial opportunities. Society around parks and preserves often benefits from new or improved healthcare and schools. The economic benefits can reduce the need for local people to migrating, either internally or abroad.

In Colombia, The Destination Natural Activity Ecotourism program preserves forest and natural habitats in six regions previously occupied by geriljas, paramilitary groups and drug trafficking. The five -year -old program, $ 40 million, fully funded by USAID, supports operations and infrastructure to attract international travelers. One of the habitats developed includes Ciudad Perdida, older than Machu Picchu in Peru, in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta series.

Activities for visitors include hiking, rafting and bird breeding, often led by former geri -makers who have become guides. Most of these destinations are off the beaten path in a country where tourism sizzling – Colombia’s visitors numbers reached record heights By 2023, nearly 25 percent originated from 2022. Almost 1.2 million of these international visitors, or more than 26 percent, from the United States.

USAID also helped establish Song Thanh National Park In central Vietnam financed the creation of Marine protected areas in Papua New Guinea and restored coral reefs in the Seychelles. Agency’s funding was instrumental in creating Gabon’s national parking system and the establishment of a Tiger Conservation Program in Bangladesh.

After a 16-year civil war in Mozambique wiped out more than 95 percent of the country’s large mammals, USAID provided support for the recovery of wildlife and habitat to the 1.6 million acre Gorongosa National Park. Now it crises more than 100,000 animals, including elephants, lions, hippos, antelope, painted wolves, hyenas and leopards. In 2023, USAID grants trained nearly 470 rangers, provided veterinary care and ran local youth education and meals. Gorongosa receives only a few thousand visitors a year, but about half of them come from the United States.

Greg Carr, an American philanthropy and entrepreneur is founder of nonprofit Gorongosa projectIt goes with the Mozambique government to support the park. He said that funding overseas national parks is in the national interest of the United States.

“There are four international criminal companies that are closely intertwined: human trafficking, drug trafficking, arms trade and exotic trafficking in wildlife. These are often the same groups involved in all fours, ”he said.

USAD financing for Gorongosa amounts to $ 5 million a year, such as Mr. Carr then contributes $ 7 million and money-breeding the rest to reach the park’s annual operating budget of $ 25 million. “Thus, USAD is used five times,” he said.

Jay L. Knott, a former USAID Foreign Service Manager who has worked in Gorongosa and other parts of the world, said USAID has played an important, early role in the tourist effort, “setting the table” to create a foundation through the early conservation of habitats, The development of a revenue model and training of local staff. For example, USAID provided nuclear financing years ago, which started the restoration of Ghana’s former and fallen slave forts. They are now a great tourist extraction.

Successful tourist destinations require vision, collaboration and commitment, Mr. Knott. USAI’s seed investments in parks catalyzed and geared national governments, philanthropis and investors to follow. The loss of USAID would affect the viability of current parks as well as the prospects of future national parks.

“It means lost opportunities for preservation, tourism, American business investment opportunities, local communities that are more prone to instability and terrorist influence – all,” he said.

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