May 23, 2023 | 07:00:00 GMT+7 | Weather 19°
Follow us:
70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Aug 28, 2018 / 17:41

USAID promotes Chi Initiative to drive down demand for rhino horn

Demand for rhino horn in Asian countries, including Vietnam, drives the illegal poaching of rhinos in Africa, putting the species in jeopardy of extinction.

The USAID Wildlife Asia project on August 28 launched the third phase of the Chi (Strength of Will) Initiative, a program to help decrease consumer demand for rhino horn in Vietnam.
Photo: USAID/Vietnam
Photo: USAID/Vietnam
“The U.S. government remains committed to collaborating with countries around the world to combat wildlife crime and end demand for illegal wildlife products” said Craig Hart, acting mission director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Vietnam.  

Demand for rhino horn in Asian countries, including Vietnam, drives the illegal poaching of rhinos in Africa, putting the species in jeopardy of extinction. The Vietnamese government has made strides in countering wildlife crime, notably with a new penal code that features stricter penalties for the possession and trade of illegal wildlife products. Despite these efforts, Vietnam is still considered a major consumer market and transit hub for rhino horn, according to a statement by USAID.

The Chi, a social marketing initiative, seeks to reduce demand for rhino horn by using a social behavior change communication approach to tackle consumption driven by social status. USAID Wildlife Asia’s Chi Phase III will continue to use targeted, evidence-based behavior change communication solutions to reduce key categories of users’ demand.

“We were excited to welcome representatives from government, civil society, businesspeople and the media at the launch, which showed an increasing consensus for wildlife protection in Vietnam,” said Sarah Ferguson, head of TRAFFIC in Vietnam.

“As part of USAID Wildlife Asia and with a strong commitment from Vietnamese partners, we will continue to explore innovative behavioral change solutions and work to further reduce illegal wildlife consumption in the country.”

USAID Wildlife Asia works to address wildlife trafficking as a transnational crime. The project works to reduce consumer demand for wildlife parts and products, strengthen law enforcement, enhance legal and political commitment and support regional collaboration to reduce wildlife crime in Southeast Asia, particularly Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. USAID Wildlife Asia focuses on four species elephant, rhinoceros, tiger and pangolin.