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, many governments and organizations still want to prioritize protecting the environment, but have lost access to the necessary technical support to take effective environmental action. Many of their interviewees mentioned the loss of both on-the-ground expert project teams that provided day-to-day, practical support and complementary access to world-class, specialized experts from the U.S., which was unique among funders.

Devex Researcher Note: The U.S. Forest Service, or USFS, Forest Inventory and Analysis Program includes researchers and scientists who measure carbon storage, estimate emissions released by wildfires/prescribed burns, and quantify the impacts of fire-suppression or land treatments. The USFS provided direct technical assistance across Latin America, often through interagency agreements. While some work has remained, the bulk of the funding that once came through USAID has been terminated. According to a source familiar with the program, this has meant firefighting training programs have now moved to a virtual platform with notably less efficacy than the in-person training and support once offered.

Source: One Earth Partners (Full report forthcoming).