Review of USAID Wildlife Asia Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Campaigns

The USAID Wildlife Asia Activity, implemented from 2016 to 2022, pioneered the use of social and behavior change communication (SBCC) as an approach to reduce the consumer demand making up part of the multibillion-dollar trade in illegal wildlife products. SBCC demand reduction efforts complemented USAID Wildlife Asia’s supply-side disruption activities as a holistic approach towards counter wildlife trafficking (CWT). Applying SBCC principles, USAID Wildlife Asia campaigns targeted current and potential consumers, rather than the general public, and promoted messaging to counter the drivers underlying demand for these products. The review assesses the factors that contributed to the success of these campaigns, the challenges faced, actions taken, and lessons learned. It provides insights and recommendations for future SBCC demand reduction campaigns and shows the benefits of the SBCC approach.