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UK Aid Cuts Jeopardize Global Wildlife Conservation Efforts
5 Aug
Summary
- UK slashing international aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI
- Conservation charities warn of "devastating blow" to fragile ecosystems
- Funding for key projects in Tanzania and Congo set to expire

As of August 5th, 2025, the UK government's decision to slash its international aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) is poised to have a devastating impact on conservation efforts around the world. According to leading UK conservation charities, the cuts will severely damage a critical lifeline for fragile ecosystems, leaving many organizations fearing for their future.
One such organization, the African People and Wildlife (APW) charity, has been carrying out vital conservation work in Tanzania. APW's projects, which were previously "generously funded" by UK aid, are now facing an uncertain future. The charity's co-founder, Laly Lichtenfeld, warns that the loss of this funding will "dismantle an entire ecosystem of support for both wildlife and a huge number of African communities."
Similarly, the Forest Peoples Programme (FPP), which works to reverse environmental degradation in the Congo, is bracing for the expiration of its FCDO-supported project next year. Interim coordinator Anouska Perram expresses deep concern about the "very bad" funding outlook for her organization and others like it.
Conservation leaders, including the CEOs of the Zoological Society of London, WWF, and Greenpeace, have written to the UK government urging them to reconsider the cuts, arguing that "investment in nature is a strategic, cost-effective pillar of Britain's global development agenda." However, with the cuts already underway, the future of many vital conservation programs remains uncertain.