How USAID Cuts Impact Preparations for Climate Change
Floodwaters rise as U.S. aid cuts threaten climate readiness abroad.
Note: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?
The ripple effects of the Trump administration’s elimination of USAID are being felt in dozens of countries where the agency supported initiatives ranging from public health programs to infrastructure and climate resilience projects. Angeles Ponpa from Northwestern University’s school of journalism traveled to Indonesia to see the effect on one of the world’s fastest-sinking cities.
View the transcript of the story.
Key Term
USAID (United States Agency for International Development) = a federal agency charged with providing aid to countries and relief organizations around the world. Much of USAID was cut in the early months of President Trump's second term.
Warm-Up Questions: U.S. Foreign Aid and Climate Change
- When was USAID funding cut?
- What were some of the programs that USAID supported?
- How did USAID support the people of Jakarta, Indonesia?
- Why has extracting groundwater impacted the city of Jakarta?
- Who in Jakarta is impacted by the loss of USAID efforts?
Essential Questions: Climate Change and U.S. Global Aid
- How do cuts to USAID impact the city of Jakarta's preparations
- In this segment, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that, "USAID is not charity." If not, what do you think is the purpose of USAID funding? What advantages to U.S. interests come from funding projects like the one described in this segment?
- Media literacy: Why do you think this story focused on one example of the work that USAID was funding? What other stories would you want to see to better understand the role that USAID has played internationally, and how cuts might impact the U.S. and other countries?
Extension Activity
Watch the following segment about another USAID cut that affects health of a particular region. Then discuss:
- What are some of the ways USAID funding might make the United States more safe and secure?
- If you could choose one global program that would be supported by USAID funding, what would it be?
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
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