Private donors and universities stepped in to partially replace funding for one American and seven Cambodian graduate students affected by the abrupt termination of a U.S.-funded conservation project in the Mekong River Basin, allowing them to complete their degrees.
Date: 2/25
Region: North America
Country: United States
Topic: Climate & Environment, Research & Development
Policy Lens: Climate & Resource Pressure
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: Wonders of the Mekong was a USAID-funded project entering its ninth year of implementation before it was abruptly terminated in early 2025. With plans to continue through 2029, this $29.7 million project conducted applied research, built capacity, and implemented outreach and communication strategies to highlight the natural, economic, and cultural capital of the Lower Mekong River.
In conversation with The Aid Report, a former project leader noted that these stipends do not match previous funding levels, providing only basic levels of funding for these graduate students. Research activities such as field trips and data collection as well as data processing in labs are no longer being funded. The water quality lab, for example, has fully ceased operations, and there are no further active field trips for training and technical capacity development.
Source: Wonders of the Mekong