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priority measures for the adaptation of forest
management to climate change, and
• Strengthening institutions on the issue of
adaptation of forest management to climate
change, through undertaking scientific research
and exchanging research results with relevant
international institutions and programmes.
The document in its background specifies different
types of Azerbaijan forest ecosystems, including
mountain ones, and indicated that about 20 per cent
of population lives in mountainous regions and that
they dependent on forest resources.
Georgia
The National Forest Concept for Georgia
(Government of Georgia 2014c) was approved by
the Parliament as the basis for elaboration of both
new legislation and policy for forest management in
the country. Particular actions, which can support
Georgia’s forest adaptation to global warming,
covered by the concept can be summarised as follows:
• Commissioning of an assessment of climate
change impacts on forest areas, including impacts
on the goods and services provided by forests
• Support national dialogues on possible adaptation
strategies
• Categorizing forest stands according to forest
composition and vulnerability to climate change
and
elaborating
sustainable
management
guidelines, including adaptation measures, for
each forest type
• Implementation of adaptation plans for climate
vulnerable forest stands
• Equip forest management bodies and forest
users with the best methods for carrying out
vulnerability assessments.
It is worth noting that no specific actions to protect
mountain forests are promoted by the concept.
Analysis of forest programmes and concepts of the
South Caucasus countries demonstrates certain
similarity of approaches, problems and challenges.
Considering existing studies, both national and
regional, it can be concluded that all countries
are missing comprehensive and evidence-based
research on the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to
climate change in order to plan further detailed and
complete action to increase the resilience of forests in
the South Caucasus.
Agriculture
Agriculture is acknowledged as one of the sectors most
vulnerable to climate change by a number of studies
and assessments produced during the last decade
in the three countries. Recent strategies of all three
countries consequently reflect these research findings.
Armenia
The Strategy on Rural and Agricultural Development
of the Republic of Armenia (Government of
the Republic of Armenia 2010) considers both
climate change adaptation and mountain region
development. Climate change is mentioned as factor
to which resilience of the entire agricultural sector
should increase, while mountain and high mountain
regions are where: a) economic growth should be
promoted through special infrastructural projects
and b) pasture and hayland protection measures
should be implemented.
The new draft agricultural and rural development
strategy for the period 2015–2025, also considers
climate change as a threat to the sustainable
development of agriculture. It recommends the
establishment of an early warning system and the
Shepherd in Sevan, Armenia