A flagship chimpanzee conservation initiative led by the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in western Tanzania has suffered a major financial setback following funding cuts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program, known as Hope Through Action, was originally backed by a $29.5 million, five-year investment announced in November 2023. Its aims encompass protecting declining chimpanzee populations, restoring degraded habitats through community-driven reforestation, and promoting sustainable livelihoods among local villagers.
USAID’s withdrawal, attributed to sweeping budget reductions implemented under the Trump administration, has thrown the project into uncertainty. Most of the climate and biodiversity initiatives funded by the agency—about 98%—have been discontinued, according to a recent analysis by Refugees International.
Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist who founded JGI, has long championed a conservation model built on human–nature harmony. Her work in Gombe, Tanzania, since the 1960s helped to revolutionize our understanding of chimpanzees and emphasized that local communities must be at the heart of conservation. Project leaders say that reforesting previously cleared land and integrating farming practices with habitat protection could both preserve chimpanzee corridors and provide tangible economic benefits to residents.
Despite the sudden loss of USAID funds, other stakeholders have stepped in. Berlin-based search engine Ecosia, which channels profits into tree planting, pledged $100,000 over three years to support reforestation activities in Gombe. This contribution will fund approximately 360,000 seedlings—yet it represents only a fraction of the original funding and cannot fill the emerging financial void.
The project holds significant urgency: chimpanzee populations have plunged globally from millions to fewer than 340,000, and they have already vanished from three African nations. In Tanzania alone, estimates suggest around 2,200 remaining chimpanzees, the bulk of which reside in the western regions targeted by JGI.
Grassroots conservation approaches like those pioneered by JGI have already delivered measurable results. Previous USAID-backed projects in the region—such as the $20 million Landscape Conservation in Western Tanzania—helped reduce deforestation rates, introduced climate-smart agricultural methods like composting, and supported livelihood initiatives across dozens of villages.
But the withdrawal of USAID is more than a financial hurdle: it represents a wider shift in U.S. foreign aid priorities that risks undermining long-term conservation gains. JGI Austria’s director, Diana Leizinger, stated: “We refuse to abandon people and nature. Where hope could have been destroyed, we are helping it grow again.”
As tensions mount, conservationists warn that without sustained investment and global collaboration, critical chimpanzee habitats in western Tanzania may again fall prey to illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and human-wildlife conflict—all exacerbated by poverty and ecological stress. Time is pressing for Hope Through Action to find enduring support.
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