Written by Faith Jemosop
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) , long regarded as a key pillar in Africa’s fight against climate change, has been abruptly defunded and deconstructed. The move, initiated by a sweeping government restructuring campaign under the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by tech mogul Elon Musk and greenlit by former President Donald Trump, aims to “streamline foreign aid spending.” But this austerity-first philosophy has dismantled one of the world’s largest development arms, threatening countless lives and decimating environmental progress across the Global South particularly in Africa, where USAID played an indispensable role in climate resilience, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture.
The rationale for dismantling USAID is driven by domestic political rhetoric that criticizes “wasteful spending abroad,” coupled with a vision to shift development funding into private investment models. Critics, however, argue this vision is neither equipped nor designed to replace the comprehensive, long-term ecosystem of support that USAID provided. Without a credible or immediate substitute, Africa now faces a steep uphill battle to maintain, let alone accelerate, its climate adaptation and mitigation agenda.
USAID had for decades acted as a force multiplier for climate initiatives across Africa. It was not merely a financial donor, it was a strategic partner that combined funding with technical expertise, policy support, and private sector coordination.
1. Renewable Energy Transformation
USAID was the architect behind Power Africa, an ambitious multi billion dollar initiative launched in 2013 to increase access to electricity by unlocking the continent’s vast renewable energy potential. As of 2023, Power Africa had:
- Enabled more than 14,000 MW of new electricity generation, the majority from clean energy sources.
- Supported the completion of over 120 off-grid solar mini-grids in Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania.
- Played a catalytic role in major projects such as Kenya’s Lake Turkana Wind Power Plant (310 MW) and Ghana’s Scaling Solar Program, helping transition tens of thousands of households to clean, grid-connected energy.
The initiative worked by de-risking large scale energy investments providing guarantees, technical assistance, and facilitating public and private partnerships, making the sector attractive to commercial investors who were previously wary.
2. Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security
USAID was deeply embedded in climate-smart farming systems that protected vulnerable populations from the worst effects of droughts and floods.
Through its Feed the Future initiative, the agency:
- Introduced drought resistant crop varieties and precision irrigation in Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Ethiopia.
- Helped train over 2.5 million smallholder farmers in sustainable techniques like crop rotation, soil conservation, and integrated pest management.
- Invested in early warning systems and climate information services that informed planting decisions and minimized crop losses.
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Farmers like Gertrude Siduna from Zimbabwe, for example, had shifted from water intensive maize to more drought-resilient chili crops with USAID support, increasing her income even during erratic climate seasons.
3. Forest and Water Ecosystem Conservation
USAID’s Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) was one of the largest conservation programs globally. It protected:
- Over 3.5 million hectares of the Congo Basin rainforest, often referred to as “the lungs of Africa.”
- Wildlife corridors critical for elephants, gorillas, and hundreds of endemic species.
- Watershed management programs in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, which were crucial for controlling desertification and drought.
The agency’s work in coastal resilience helped restore mangroves in Mozambique and protect urban coastlines from sea-level rise.
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The ripple effects of USAID’s closure are already being felt, and they threaten to derail decades of progress.
1. Energy Projects in Limbo
In Kenya, the expansion phase of the Lake Turkana Wind Project expected to add an additional 150 MW is now on hold. In Malawi, the country’s national electrification roadmap, which counted on USAID support to bring 70% household access by 2030, faces critical delays. Without USAID’s financial and technical input, power utilities are losing international investor confidence.
Private sector partners are also pulling back. USAID functioned as a risk buffer without it, firms are reluctant to invest in long-term renewable infrastructure across regions deemed politically or economically unstable.
2. Rising Food Insecurity
With Feed the Future programs halted, communities in arid zones are increasingly exposed to climate shocks. Crop failure is expected to rise by 20% in 2025 alone in parts of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, according to early forecasts from the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET).
women and youth who were key beneficiaries of USAID’s agricultural entrepreneurship programs are disproportionately affected.
3. Forests and Water Systems Under Threat
The Congo Basin, already under stress from illegal logging and mining, is now facing operational paralysis in ranger patrols and biodiversity monitoring. Without ongoing satellite surveillance and ground enforcement (largely funded by USAID), deforestation rates are projected to increase by 8% annually.
Meanwhile, climate adaptation projects in flood-prone areas like southern Mozambique have stopped. Communities that once relied on USAID supported flood early warning systems and evacuation routes are now vulnerable to disasters as the 2025 cyclone season approaches.
The dismantling of USAID leaves a gaping hole but it also provides a pivotal moment for African countries and their partners to rethink resilience through self reliance and regional innovation.
1. Scaling Domestic Financing
Governments must begin allocating larger portions of national budgets to climate and energy sectors. This includes incentivizing local banks to fund green enterprises and establishing climate trust funds that pool domestic and diaspora resources.
2. Strengthening Regional Institutions
The African Union and regional blocs like ECOWAS and SADC can step up by coordinating climate action and cross-border funding mechanisms. Shared infrastructure like solar grids across borders or basin-wide water agreements can provide resilience at scale.
3. Tapping Alternative Global Partnerships
With USAID out, nations may turn to the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative, Germany’s GIZ, and philanthropies like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has pledged to accelerate climate investments. South-South cooperation drawing on Brazil, India, and China can also offer technical partnerships, especially in agroecology and urban sustainability.
