Environmental leaders working on reducing ocean plastic pollution in Kenya observed that after the U.S. aid cuts, in the absence of external incentives, commercial recyclers began prioritizing high-margin materials, while ignoring community-based collection of plastic that was specifically ocean-bound.
Date: 6/26
Region: Africa
Country: Kenya
Topic: Climate & Environment
Policy Lens: Climate & Resource Pressure
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: This information is based on 150 semi-structured interviews conducted by One Earth Partners across five countries selected to represent the diversity of USAID's environmental work. Interview findings were triangulated with a global survey of 175 respondents and external media analysis.
According to One Earth Partners, activities and organizations with revenue generating models were able to continue after U.S. aid cuts, but respondents observed that local NGOs were also pivoting to this model by transforming into social enterprises or tapping into investment markets. The authors of the report note that an over-reliance on this model globally could lead to the exclusion of work in non-revenue-generating geographies and issues.
Source: One Earth Partners (Full report forthcoming).