This section provides plain-language resources explaining how USAID’s environmental procedures apply to certain activities and funding mechanisms.
Biosafety. USAID requires that a specific biosafety review be conducted prior to the use of USAID funds to support or otherwise facilitate field testing or open release of bioengineered organisms outside the US. The biosafety review informs the pre-implementation environmental review process required by 22 CFR 216.
- Factsheet: USAID’S Biosafety Procedures and Their Relationship to Life-of-Project Environmental Compliance. This factsheet outlines these requirements and provides links to additional resources. PDF (201 KB)
Climate Change Successful development projects need to include efforts to moderate climate-related risks and vulnerabilities and take advantage of potential benefits to improve the likelihood of long-term project success. The following presentations provide an introduction to climate change
- Climate Change and Environmental Compliance (30 Min Presentation) PDF (1 MB)
- Climate Change and Environmental Compliance PDF (1.18 MB)
- Native files Zip (7MB)
Environmental Assessments (EAs) are USAID’s version of a full EIA study. An EA is required when an IEE assigns a positive determination to one or more activities, or in most cases for activities enumerated in 22 CFR 216 as “normally requiring an environmental assessment.”
- GEMS Training Presentation: 22 CFR 216 – USAID’s Pre-implementation EIA Process. Outlines when an EA is required, and the differences between an EA and an IEE. PDF (2.2 MB)
- EA Factsheet. How-to guidance for USAID staff procuring and managing an EA process; links to template SOWs for Scoping Statements and EAs. [forthcoming]
Global Development Alliance Activities (GDAs). In a GDA, USAID enters into a formal agreement with two or more parties (at least one of whom must be a private sector entity) to jointly define and address a development problem. USAID’s environmental procedures apply to all GDAs. They apply slightly differently to pooled resources vs parallel financing.
- Factsheet: Environmental Compliance for Global Development Alliance Activities. Outlines how USAID’s environmental procedures apply to GDA activities.
Host Country Environmental Management Capacity Assessment. In the context of Government-to-Government (G2G) assistance, USAID’s environmental compliance process often requires assessing host country capacity for and commitment to employing environmental assessment and management tools in the promotion of sustainable development. Tools and methods for such assessments include:
- The EA Barometer, developed by the Pan-African Capacity and Linkages for Environmental Assessment in Africa (CLEAA) network, has proven useful as a simple tool to assess environmental management capacity. Though it is intended to be used in a workshop setting, it can also be completed by knowledgeable staff.
- [other methods forthcoming]
Pesticides. 22 CFR 216 establishes specific, additional pre-implementation analysis and review requirements that apply to procurement, use or support for pesticides in USAID-funded activities. Most Bureaus satisfy these requirements with a “Pesticide Evaluation Report and Safer Use Action Plan” (PERSUAP) which is formally an amendment to the project’s IEE.
- Overview presentation of pesticide risks, fundamentals of safer use, and compliance requirements PDF (220 KB)
- PERSUAP Guidance. Preparing PERSUAPS for Pestide Programs in Africa is a general guidance document to assist in PERSUAP preparation (English, Word, 103K). Generally applicable to most Bureaus. (under update)
- 22 CFR 216.3(b) Pesticides procedures portion of Reg. 216.
- Pesticide Retailer Handbook. This handbook was produced by the USAID/Afghanistan’s IDEA-NEW project as part of its activities to strengthen agricultural input suppliers. It is a practically oriented, written in accessible language, and can serve as a training curriculum. (Lead author: Tony Treen, ACDI-VOCA) Word (2 MB)
Resource Governance
Subproject Review. (Subsidiary Environmental Review). In some cases, IEEs require a subsidiary environmental review process for specified classes of activities. The IEE will specify the process to be used. See the Subsidiary Review page.
Water Quality
- Water Quality Assurance Plans (WQAPs) are the preferred method for ensuring water quality in projects involving the provision of drinking water. USAID recommends that new Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) for drinking water provisioning activities require Implementing Partners (IPs) to develop, implement, and report on a WQAP. The WQAP should specify how the IP will assure safe drinking water for the project and meet applicable partner-country water quality requirements, given project implementation conditions. It is intended to specify requirements for initial testing, long-term monitoring, and, in some cases, exact water standards.
This document provides the instructions, example language and template for Implementing Partners (IPs) to develop high quality WQAPs.