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yields on their land while enhancing its capacity to continue producing in the future. They 

 have done this through using a range of improved practices and techniques, including water 

 management techniques, use of agroforestry practices, application of manure and other 

 organic inputs, and other approaches. They have done so with our help; more importantly, 

 they have done so for well over a decade now. And thousands of their neighbors have 

 adopted similar practices, to the benefit of both the people and the environment. 



WHAT WE DO 



In order to implement US AID" s strategy we fund a variety of activities, largely through our 

 field missions in Africa. For example, we work with local governments to reform policies 

 and to change the incentives affecting the use of natural resources. In contrast to ten to 

 fifteen years ago when USAID funded technically focussed environmental projects, we now 

 concentrate many of our resources on programs aimed at helping host countries get the 

 conditions right for less destructive environmental practices. This is accomplished through a 

 combination of technical assistance, applied research, and targeted conditionality. These 

 reforms include changing tenure systems, decentralizing enterprises, reforming laws 

 controlling NGOs and regulations affecting the control over revenue at the local level. 

 We also improve the technical and managerial capacity of both public and private entities — 

 such as district councils, parks departments, NGOs — to implement environmental programs. 

 This includes training in a wide variety of environmental fields, as well as expertise in 

 accounting and fmancial management. Additionally we provide grants to both US-based and 

 local PVOs which work throughout Africa with local people to improve environmental 



