West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (USAID West Africa Regional):  With FY 2018 funds, USAID will build the capacity of ECOWAS, the Mano River Union and the Abidjan Convention (AbC) to enable West African countries to reduce wildlife trafficking, deforestation and biodiversity loss, and promote coastal resilience..FY 2018 activities include:.Supporting national and regional policy harmonization through ECOWAS (regional strategy on wildlife protection) and the AbC (domestication of new protocols on coastal management and conservation);.Implementing conservation activities in transnational forest landscapes such as species inventories and developing alternative livelihoods options; .Applying research to test alternative approaches to forest and mangrove restoration and rice-mangrove agroforestry..The criminal networks that support the illicit trade in flora and fauna are also part of the larger networks that trade in weapons and drugs that contribute to regional instability and pose a threat to U.S. national security..This activity will assert U.S. leadership and influence by building the capacity of partner countries and institutions to disrupt criminal networks. It contributes to JSP Strategic Objective 1.3 (Counter instability, transnational crime, and violence that threaten U.S. interests by strengthening citizen-responsive governance, security, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law) by countering transnational crime that threatens U.S. interests and Strategic Objective 2.2: (Promote healthy, educated and productive populations in partner countries to drive inclusive and sustainable development, open new markets and support U.S. prosperity and security objectives) by assisting populations in adapting to climate change and protecting natural resources critical to long term, sustainable growth, and food and water security. Geographic Focus: West Africa wide on policy and CWT. Coastal Resilience and conservation focused in C&ocirc;te d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Objectives for South of Sahara, regional: Combat Wildlife Trafficking through the revision and operationalization of national and regional policies, laws and regulations. The program will strengthen national and regional networks and institutions by building their capacity to enforce trafficking laws. National Action Plans and community-led behavioral change campaigns will be developed to shrink the supply chains of trafficked wildlife. Improve Coastal Resilience in West Africa through integrated planning and the strengthened capacity of local, national and regional frameworks. WA-BiCC will build local, national and regional capacity to generate and use climate information in coastal planning, support the National Adaptation Planning process, and pilot and scale up coastal adaptation strategies that are effective. Reduce Deforestation, Degradation and Biodiversity Loss in key forests through WA-BiCC technical and knowledge management support. The program will improve capacity for economic planning and development of Low Emissions Development Strategies, REDD+, and transboundary conservation strategies while simultaneously engaging the private sector and supporting frameworks to integrate best practices for the sustainable management of natural resources.