The Regional Environmental Advisor is responsible for:

• Environmental Compliance. The REA ensures that all USAID projects in West Africa are in compliance with U.S. Government regulations, 22 CFR 216.  The REA does this by providing guidance and technical assistance in reviewing and preparing documentation related to USAIDs’ environmental procedures for the bilateral USAID Missions in West Africa, activities located in non-USAID presence countries, and WARP.
  
  
• Technical Support and Information Exchange.  As requested, the REA also provides environment and natural resource management technical support to bilateral USAID Missions in West Africa, non-presence countries and WARP in the following areas:  Project/program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; Program needs assessment; Proposal reviews; and Scope of Work development.  The REA also promotes regional collaboration and information exchange within West Africa, with other USAID regions, and with other agencies/organizations by providing and/or circulating technical materials and participating in workshops, meetings and seminars.  The REA also represents WARP at environmental/natural resources conferences and meetings.
  
  
• Project Management.  Two regional projects are in the design phase and discussions for a third, to be managed by WARP in collaboration with bilateral Missions and non-presence countries, are underway: 
  
  
• A transboundary natural resource management initiative involving Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire aimed at monitoring resource stocks, flows, and values to improve management transparency and the sustainable utilization of these resources.
  
  
• A regional urban environmental activity addressing solid waste (plastics) management issues.  The project will develop and implement action plans for select municipalities in Ghana, Niger, and Togo.
  
  
• A transboundary watershed management project is under discussion by WARP, USAID Guinea/Sierra Leone and the US Embassy in Sierra Leone.

All the projects will generate a series of lessons learned and best management practices for transboundary resource management and regional environmental issues that can be applied elsewhere in West Africa.

The REA works toward his objectives by focusing on clear and regular communications, fostering synergy among WARP, bi-laterals, non-presence countries, and other organizations through highlighting shared goals and overlapping objectives, and through teamwork.