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introduction of harvest-forecasting methodologies
for different crops and climatic/altitude zones and
particular communities with regard to climate change
risks. In terms of financial planning, the document
considers climate change and its impact on Armenia’s
natural and climatic conditions.
Azerbaijan
The State Programme on the Reliable Food Supply
of Population in the Azerbaijan Republic states that
the combination of the increase in oil prices, the
negative trends in the financial markets, as well as the
rise in the demand for food products as a result of
population increases, climate change, limited water
reserves have contributed to increases in global food
prices. As a result, food insecurity has risen in some
countries (President of Azerbaijan 2008b). It proposes
the implementation of the following actions:
• Development and cultivation of agricultural plant
varieties which are more resistant to the effects of
drought, frost, diseases and pests
• Improvement of farming methods and
technologies
• Improvement of irrigation methods and water use
efficiencies
• Reduction and elimination of the use of dangerous
pesticides and fertilisers.
Moreover, it proposes activities aimed at improving the
efficient use of water irrigation and prevention of soil
degradation to mitigate the effect of climate change.
The programme also underlines that up to 40 per cent
(3.4 million hectares) of the land in mountainous
areas had been subject to erosion of various degrees
and therefore envisages land-reclamation activities in
657 thousand hectares of the irrigated land.
Considering recent climate change assessments
and the commitment to address climate risks in
the programme for 2008–2015 and other policy
documents in Azerbaijan, the assumption is that
the new programme or strategy will reflect climate
change challenges in more detail.
Georgia
The Agriculture Development Strategy of Georgia
(MoA 2015) is divided into strategic directions and
measures. In the Strategic Direction: Climate Change,
Environment and Biodiversity, the document envisages:
• Creation of a gene bank for the conservation of
agro-diversity and endemic species and thus
increasing agricultural sector resilience to climate
change especially in arid and semi-arid zones, and
in general
• Promotion of climate smart agriculture (CSA)
practice in agricultural production to ensure
economic and social welfare of farmers and other
types of vulnerable groups.
It states: “it is important to promote a Climate Smart
Agriculture approach that simultaneously addresses
three intertwined challenges: ensuring food security
through increased productivity and income, adapting
to climate change and contributing to mitigation
of climate change”. This measure promotes strong
coordination of action among different stakeholders,
including government institutions, local authorities,
NGOs and private sector representatives, to develop
relevant national and municipal programmes. As
well as development of capacities, introduction of
relevant technologies, it envisages research to ensure
increased agricultural production resilience to
climate change impacts. Moreover, climate change is
mainstreamed under other strategic directions and
measures such as the reduction of soil degradation
and desertification processes.
According to the strategy to define and support rural
development and investment strategies for each
region, the Ministry of Agriculture shall collaborate
with other entities and local authorities to draft a rural
development policy, which, in turn, shall be based on
local, social, economic and cultural specifications. A
unified action plan shall be developed incorporating
short, medium and long-term measures. Special
attention shall be given to high mountain regions.
Energy
Energy segment development and regulation in
all three countries incorporate laws and strategies
on conventional and alternative/renewable energy
sectors. Some of them recognise climate change as a
phenomenon and promote action to mitigate climate
change but none of them consider the reverse effect of
climate change on renewable energy sources and/or on
physical infrastructure or potential heating or cooling
demand through climate change. The energy sector
resilience in the South Caucasus countries is an under-
researched issue and even National Communications
to the UNFCCC do not cover this sufficiently.
Armenia’s INDC (MoNP 2015) underlines energy
sector vulnerability, both for hydro- and thermal
power plants, to climate change throughmodification
of hydrology regimes or glacier melting. A number
of other studies and documents cover similar issues.
However, as it is assumed that over a fifty-year
perspective (the average lifespan of hydropower
plants), no significant changes to river hydrology
regimes are expected, policy makers in the energy
sector do not consider adaptation as a priority issue.
Therefore, no adaptation actions have been planned
or implemented in this area so far.
Tourism
Among the three countries of the South Caucasus
only Armenia has a policy related to the potential
impact of climate change on the tourism sector.