USAID shutdown leaves global climate and conservation programs in jeopardy
A new analysis shows that dismantling USAID has caused a sharp decline in funding, data access and on-the-ground capacity for environmental projects worldwide.
An analysis by two former senior USAID officials, based on interviews with 150 former partners and surveys of 175 respondents, documents the fallout from the agency’s abrupt closure. The report highlights that USAID once provided roughly $1 billion each year for climate and environmental work, funding multi-year projects that other donors could not sustain. Its exit has triggered higher deforestation rates, a surge in illicit mining and coca cultivation in the Peruvian Amazon, and diminished capacity for governments to pursue reforms.
Partners also lost access to critical data platforms and digital libraries that supported transparency and planning. While the study acknowledges some past inefficiencies, such as over-reliance on large contractors, it concludes that no other donor has filled the gap, leaving a lasting void in global environmental assistance.
Why it matters
The loss of USAID’s climate funding and data undermines worldwide efforts to curb deforestation and build resilience to extreme weather.
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