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address the forestry, biodiversity, agriculture sectors
and desertification/land degradation, etc. (see table:
National Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments
Availability by Sector/Country).
The mountain regions of the South Caucasus
countries are to certain extend covered by about half
of the national vulnerability reports. In addition, the
following aspects for mountain regions are covered
through regional studies:
Multiple areas:
The Climate Change in the
South Caucasus (UNDP 2011) study, which is
based on official country information from the
communications to the UNFCCC and from the
Regional Climate Change Impact Study for the
South Caucasus Region, and which was funded by
UNDP, produced a number of research papers. The
study covers relevant aspects of mountain region
vulnerability to climate change derived from the
Second National Communications to UNFCCC.
The study by the WWF, Climate Change study for
the Southern Caucasus, impacts on nature, people
and society (WWF 2008), considers certain climate
change impacts on agriculture, water and biodiversity
in mountain regions of the three countries.
Agriculture:
The study on Building Resilience to
Climate Change in South Caucasus Agriculture
(Ahouissoussi
et al
. 2014), produced by the World
Bank, includes analysis of issues such as climate
impacts on crops and water availability, and priority
measures for agricultural adaptation in mountains
through regional actions.
Water:
The KfW assessment report on Adaptation
to Climate Change in the Kura-Aras River Basin
(Kerres 2010) refers to adaptation challenges and
measures of water resources including ones formed
in mountainous regions of the South Caucasus
countries. The report also states that: “Once the
glaciers disappear completely (estimates suggest
that hardly any glaciers might be left by 2100), the
hydrology will lose one of its main drivers and
regulators. In areas where total average discharge
decreases, this will contribute to water quality
degradation, since less water has less potential to
dilute pollutants”.
Forests:
The Report on Adaptation of Forests to
Climate Change (WWF 2012), produced with support
from the EU, provides an analysis of the vulnerability
of different species growing in mountain and high
mountain regions.
All regional reports are desk studies and mostly utilise
information from the National Communications to
UNFCCC.
Alpine toundra, Georgia