Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding her Department has provided in support of animal conservation projects on each continent in each of the last five years.

DFID supports many activities that tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade which contribute to animal conservation. Since 2014, DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have jointly provided £11million to the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, administered by Defra. Through the Challenge Fund we have supported a range of proposals, including one for implementing park action plans for community engagement to tackle illegal wildlife trade in Uganda and one for building judicial capacity to counter wildlife crime in Kenya.

For the years 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively, this was split as follows: Africa: £0.4million, £1.2 million, £2.9million and £2.1million; Asia: £0.3million, £0.9million, £1.0million and £1.3million; and South America: £0.06million, £0.1million, £0.1million and £0.09million.

Between 2014 - 2018, DFID and Defra also contributed £210million to the Global Environment Facility. Through this funding, the department supports the £100million Global Wildlife Programme, the world’s largest single counter-Illegal Wildlife Trade Programme. This promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combatting illicit trafficking in wildlife in Africa and Asia.