Money restored the coral reefs in the Seychelles, helped establish a national park in Vietnam, and transformed the former guerrilla into a tour guide in Colombia. They established a Tiger Conservation Program and brought wildlife back to areas that were destroyed by bloody citizens' unrest.
These are all one of the surprising programs affected by the possible closure of the Trump administration of the US International Development Agency.
That role now has an uncertain future. On Thursday, USAID leaders discovered that the Trump administration plans to cut almost every agency's job and cancel hundreds of grants and contracts. Congressional Democrats say the move to remove institutions could be illegal.
National parks have proven to be a stabilizing force for countries around the world, creating local businesses and jobs, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, launching tourism efforts and other economic opportunities. It's there. Communities around parks and reserves often benefit from new or improved health services and schools. Economic benefits can reduce the need for local people to migrate either internally or overseas.
In Colombia, the destination's natural activity ecotourism program preserves forest and natural habitat in six areas previously occupied by guerrillas, paramilitary groups and drug traffickers. The fully funded five-year, $40 million programme supports operations and infrastructure to attract international travelers. One of the developed habitats covers Ciudad Perdida, older than Machu Picchu in Peru, located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Malta Mountains.
Visitor-friendly activities include hiking, rafting and bird watching. This is often led by a former guerrilla fighter who became guides. Most of these destinations are off the beaten paths of the country where tourism is hot. Visitors in Colombia reached a record high in 2023, up almost 25% from 2022. US.
USAID also supported the establishment of Thanh National Park song in central Vietnam, funded the creation of a marine reserve in Papua New Guinea, and restored coral reefs in the Seychelles. The agency's funding helped create Gabon's national park system and establish a Tiger Conservation Program in Bangladesh.
After 16 years of civil war in Mozambique wiped out more than 95% of the country's large mammals, USAID helped restore wildlife and habitat to the 1.6 million acres of Gorongosa National Park. Now it evacuates over 100,000 animals, including elephants, lions, hippos, antelopes, painted wolves, hyenas and leopards. In 2023, the USAID grant trained nearly 470 rangers, provided veterinary care, and implemented local youth education and diet programs. Gorongoza receives thousands of visitors a year, about half of which come from the United States.
American philanthropist and entrepreneur Greg Kerr is the founder of the non-profit Gorongosa Project, which works with the Mozambique government to support the park. He said funding for national parks overseas is in the US national interest.
“There's a close entanglement of four international criminal companies: human trafficking, drug trafficking, weapon trafficking, exotic wildlife trafficking. It's a group that's often involved in all four,” he said. I said.
USAID's funding to Gorongosa reaches $5 million a year, after which Mr. Kerr will donate $7 million and raise the remaining funds, reaching $25 million in the park's annual operating budget. “So USAID money is leveraged five times more,” he said.
Jay L. Nott, a former USAID foreign affairs officer who worked in Gorongoza and other parts of the world, said USAID plays an important early role in tourism efforts. Habitat, revenue model development, and training local staff. For example, USAID provided core funding several years ago to begin restoring Ghana's previous aging slave forts. They are now a major tourist draw.
Successful tourist destinations require vision, collaboration and engagement, Nott said. USAID's seed investments in parks often catalyzed and utilized national governments, charities and investors. The loss of USAID will affect the viability of current parks and future national park outlook.
“It means losing conservation, tourism, US business investment opportunities, community instability and terrorist susceptibility,” he said.
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