USAID’s global conservation funding supports both natural systems and the people whose health and livelihoods depend on them. In fiscal year 2017, we worked in 57 countries to strengthen natural resource management, conserve biodiversity, fight wildlife crime and develop sustainable fisheries practices. Our targeted investments in highly biodiverse areas promoted healthy, thriving communities on their journey to self-reliance, and results from these investments appear in this annual report.

The Agency invested $265 million in fiscal year 2017 funds to conserve biodiversity. Approximately 57 percent of funds supported the 12 highest priority countries and regions identified in USAID’s Biodiversity Policy, including Tanzania, Vietnam, Madagascar and countries in the Amazon and Congo basin regions. USAID also continued to fund efforts to combat wildlife crime, investing $68.1 million in law enforcement capacity building, demand reduction and international cooperation. USAID forestry programming totaled $195 million in approximately 40 countries, focused primarily on tropical forests.

Additional USAID reports on biodiversity and/or forestry programs are available at: www.usaid.gov/biodiversity/impact/annual-reports