56 / 88
56
Desertification and land degradation
All three countries of the South Caucasus are parties
to the UNCCD (UNCCD 2014).
Armenia ratified the Convention in 1997 and recently
received approval of its second National Strategy
and Action Programme, which states that climate
change leads to intensification of aridisation and
consequently to land degradation and desertification
(MoNP 2002).
The national Regulation on Land Monitoring
Procedure (Government of the Republic of Armenia
2009) regulates protection of the soil and soil layer
from erosion and desertification. This regulation
requires organic carbon content, among 15
important indicators of soil and soil layer protection
to be defined. Also a requirement is that organic
carbon conservation, accumulation and storage in all
categories of land through comprehensive measures
shall be implemented.
Azerbaijan recently drafted its National Strategy and
Action Plan to Combat Desertification based on
requirements of the UNCCD, which is currently under
inter-state procedures for consideration and adoption.
Both the draft strategy and draft action plan refer
to climate change as one of the parameters causing
desertification. The plan covers concrete actions of
adaptation to climate change related risks, such as
preparation of measures for climate change mitigation,
(e.g. related to drought and excessive precipitation) on
the state and productivity of lands, and adaptation, etc.
Under the Georgian Second National Strategy and
Action Programme to Combat Desertification
(Government of Georgia 2014b) climate change is
recognised as a contributing factor to desertification.
The Strategy outlines the development of a joint
national action plan or mechanism for the CBD,
UNFCCC and UNCCD until 2017, and for 2020
to ensure that 40 per cent of the decision makers
and 30 per cent of the population will be informed
about the challenges and correlation between climate
change, desertification and biodiversity protection.
Other measures related to climate change can be
summarised as follows:
• Review relevant legislation and policy to ensure
consideration of climate change, desertification
and biodiversity protection holistically,
• Encourage research and public awareness in all
relevant areas,
• Advice on integrating all three of the abovementioned
topics into Georgia’s spatial planning policies.
Mountain forest degradation is presented as a
phenomenon which intensifies desertification, and
foothills andmountain pastures are perceived as areas
vulnerable to desertification under anthropogenic
and natural pressures.
Forestry
Climate change adaptation related to forests is
underlined in a number of guiding documents of the
South Caucasus countries, including the Ecoregional
Conservation Plan (WWF/CBC 2012), and in key
forestry development national policy documents.
Armenia
The National Forest Programme (Government
of the Republic of Armenia 2005a) stresses the
climate change vulnerability of forest ecosystems
and emphasises the need for adaptation as well as
the current lack of preventive measures. The Action
Plan of the programme envisages evaluation of forest
vulnerability and planning to increase the adaptive
capacity of forested areas and to develop integrated
approaches to land use planning in order to promote
sufficient protection of forests. The programme
emphasises the need to protect mountain forests,
as well as its socio-economic and scientific values
and, under the Action Plan, a recommendation is to
improve mountain forest road planning and design.
The programme document defines the optimal level
of forest cover in Armenia at 20.1 per cent, which was
calculated within the framework of the First National
Communication to the UNFCCC, and taking into
consideration climate change scenarios.
Moreover, the INDC (MoNR 2015) and
Governmental Decree on Adoption of the National
Forest Programme of the Republic of Armenia
(Government of the Republic of Armenia 2005b)
reconfirmed the abovementioned approach of the
National Communication and the Action Plan. It also
promotes forest protection and increased resilience
of forests under climate change risks.
Azerbaijan
The new National Forest Programme of Azerbaijan,
which is currently under consideration with an
indicative approval date in 2015. In its climate
change chapter it considers as appropriate the
following measures for climate change mitigation
and adaptation in the forest sector:
• “compliance with legislative acts on forest
protection
• conduct reforestation measures and measures to
stimulate natural regeneration
• a complete ban on a cattle grazing in the forests
• measures against forest pests and diseases and
• introduction of highly productive forest species to
increase forest cover” (MoENR 2013).
To achieve these objectives the programme sets out
the following targets:
• Elaboration of the National Strategy on Climate
Change adaptation, including the strategies and