AIDA or the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense was established in 1996. The organization was founded through a collaboration of five environmental groups in the US that included Earthjustice. It is an international non-profit organization that tackles environmental law. AIDA is headquartered in Oakland, California and has numerous partners around the globe. This includes countries such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Canada, Chile and Colombia.

The organization was founded based on its primary goal of protecting human health and the environment. One of its most distinguished projects has been in Peru where the organization had fought heavy metal poisoning and other contaminants of locals by a local smelter. Through a partnership with Cedarena, the organization had made a significant impact in protecting Costa Rica’s Leatherback turtle.

AIDA’s efforts had been conducted based on encouraging transnational collaboration, protection of human rights, cultivating the power of international law and encouraging citizen enforcement and public participation. The organization had divided its efforts into five topics including Human Rights and the Environment, Marine Biodiversity, Climate Change, Freshwater Preservation and Strengthening Environmental Governance and Public Participation.