USAID VUKANOW ANNUAL REPORT: OCTOBER 2018 - SEPTEMBER 2019

In response to these threats, USAID Southern Africa has embarked on a multi-faceted regional program to address wildlife crime. The USAID's VukaNow (UVN) Activity was launched in March 2018 to complement six USAID Southern Africa landscape combating wildlife crime (CWC) projects in four landscapes. The program aims to significantly reduce the level of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife, enhance law enforcement capacity, and promote sustainable utilization of wildlife resources for the benefit of the communities and wildlife economy in the region. The UVN Activity has two specific objectives: (i) Catalyzing learning and sharing for improved results to combat wildlife crime; and (ii) Increasing collaborative action to reduce wildlife crime in targeted areas. The first objective focuses on operations in the four landscapes, while the second provides wider support to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and national governments in covering the interstitial area. The program involves a range of activities, including increasing understanding of the dynamics of and ways to disrupt wildlife crime, as well as improving the application of effective tools, technologies, or approaches that mitigate wildlife crime. Key results for the period under review include increased understanding of the potential and real impacts of trade restrictions and other policy initiatives on wildlife and wildlife crime in the region. Additionally, the program has improved the abilities to monitor impacts of wildlife crime interventions and address the political, economic, and social drivers of wildlife crime. Furthermore, the program has increased transboundary and regional collaboration to combat wildlife crime, with a focus on sharing information that results in effective detection and prosecution for wildlife crime. The UVN Activity has also supported the implementation of the SADC Law Enforcement and Anti-Poaching (LEAP) Strategy, which aims to enhance law enforcement capacity and promote sustainable utilization of wildlife resources. The program has also improved transparency and reporting on wildlife crime, as well as policy frameworks that mitigate wildlife crime. Additionally, the program has leveraged resources to support reductions in wildlife crime and increased the use of actionable information that deters wildlife crime. The program has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, with notable achievements including the establishment of a community of practice for combating wildlife crime, the development of a regional wildlife crime information management system, and the provision of short-term technical assistance to support the implementation of the LEAP Strategy. The program has also supported the development of a regional wildlife crime strategy and the establishment of a wildlife crime prevention combatting unit. Overall, the UVN Activity has made significant contributions to the reduction of wildlife crime in Southern Africa and has provided a platform for regional collaboration and knowledge sharing.