USAID Wildlife Asia
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), working closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), addresses wildlife trafficking as a transnational crime through the USAID Wildlife Asia activity. The activity works to reduce consumer demand for wildlife parts and products, strengthen law enforcement skills, enhance policy, legislation and jurisprudence and improve regional action to reduce wildlife crime in Southeast Asia and China.
Elephant ivory, rhino horn, tiger as well as pangolins are among the top items illegally traded worldwide, and especially in Southeast Asia and China. Transcontinental organized wildlife crime decimates wildlife populations, destroying opportunities for local community wildlife-based livelihoods, and does not contribute to national revenues. Wildlife trafficking undermines the rule of law, supports corruption and money laundering, facilitates spread of zoonotic diseases, and has links to terrorism. Click here for the more information of this initiative.
Highlights
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Aug 28, 2018 · News ItemUSAID Promotes Chi Initiative to Drive Down Demand for Rhino Horn
HANOI, August 28, 2018 – Today, the USAID Wildlife Asia project launched the third phase of the Chi Initiative, a program to help decrease consumer demand for rhino horn in Vietnam. -
Jun 11, 2018 · News ItemNew wildlife product demand reduction study reveals rising affluence and travel abroad drives consumption in China
BEIJING, June 12, 2018 – The demand for wildlife parts and products in China is driven by increasing wealth and travel for business and/or leisure outside the mainland, according to a new consumer research and demand reduction report released today.
Upcoming Events
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Sep 24, 2018 · EventWildlife Trafficking Investigative Media Workshop
This workshop aims to enhance journalist capacity on investigative report and understanding wildlife trafficking issue in Thailand and Southeast Asia, as well as to create an informal Thai media network to combat wildlife trafficking in country. -
Sep 21, 2018 · EventBank Sector Awareness Training
USAID Wildlife Asia will fund and implement a training course titled “Banking Sector Awareness Training” for banking officers in Vietnam. The course aims to arm banks with information and techniques to prevent their facilities being misused by wildlife traffickers. The curriculum will focus on giving trainees an overview of wildlife…
Innovations
USAID WIldlife Asia works with partners to develop a collection of tools to facilitate all the objectives. Up to now, 5 tools were developed, as follows:
- Counter Wildlife Trafficking Initiatives Reference Guide
An online version of the Counter Wildlife Trafficking Initiatives Reference Guide - GDELT Wildlife Trade and Trafficking News and Updates Database
The system utilizes GDELT technology to gather news and updates containing particular keywords related to wildlife trade and trafficking. - SIG Wildlife Investigator App
A mobile app for iOS and Android, aimed to facilitate Special Investigator Group (SIG) in coordinating, communicating, and training.
Resources
Featured reports and fact sheets:
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Sep 20, 2018 · FilePangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk (Portuguese version)
This guide is published in Portuguese and designed to help law enforcement officers confidently identify the eight species of pangolin, and when possible, body parts and scales even when removed from the animal. -
Sep 12, 2018 · FileReport: Coordination Meeting on Demand Reduction for Wildlife
During the Thailand Formative Research presentation on June 5, 2018, USAID Wildlife Asia conducted a session so that participants, in three small groups, could discuss how they could apply the research findings to their work on Demand Reduction, Law Enforcement and Policy on countering wildlife trafficking (CWT). Results of the…
Reducing Consumer Demand
Surging demand, high prices and lucrative profits from wildlife products are driving the drastic decline in species such as elephants, rhinos, tigers and pangolins. USAID Wildlife Asia helps reduce this demand by communicating, mobilizing and advocating ways to change practices and build new social norms around the use of wildlife products.
Building Political Committment
The Supreme Court of Thailand is the key Thai government counterpart for USAID Wildlife Asia, and activities strengthen the Green Benches program, improving court rules of procedures and introducing sentencing guidelines for wildlife crimes.
Enhancing Law Enforcement
Working with Interpol, the ASEAN National Police and the ASEAN Working Group on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and Wildlife Enforcement, USAID Wildlife Asia supports law enforcement collaboration in the region and brings together enforcement authorities in Asia and Africa to share intelligence on active investigations and collaborate in dismantling transcontinental trafficking syndicates.
Supporting US Government Coordination
USAID Wildlife Asia collects, synthesizes and shares information on counter wildlife trafficking efforts with U.S. agencies in the region, providing a knowledge management hub.