Project

Mainstreaming Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Dry Mountain Landscapes

Lead country

Armenia

Participating countries

Armenia

Project status

Under implementation

Implementing period

From December 24, 2015 to December 31, 2020

SDGs addressed by this project

SDG targets

  1. 15.2 Promote sustainable forest management, restoration, afforestation
  2. 15.1 Conserve, restore, sustainably use terrestrial, freshwater ecosystems
  3. 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Project ID: 4416

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Technical team

  • Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme

Technical area(s)

  • Ecosystem management and restoration
  • Mainstreaming biodiversity

Sub-area(s)

  • Ecosystem-based mitigation
  • Wildlife conservation

Landscape(s)

  • Forests

Sub-landscape(s)

  • Dryland forests
  • Montane forests

Transformed sector(s)

  • Forestry and other land use
  • Livestock

UNDP role(s)

  • Capacity development / Technical assistance
  • Data collection and analysis
  • Innovative approaches

Strategy

  • Management operation
  • Governance
  • Monitor inventory

Sub-strategy

  • Sustainable land management
  • Ecosystem and ecosystem services conservation/restoration
  • Inter-sectoral coordination
  • Participatory governance models
  • Ecological monitoring
  • Spatial monitoring/analysis

Social inclusion

  • Local community/CSOs
  • Private sector

Gender equality

  • Women's access to and control over resources
  • Women decision making
  • Awareness raising (on gender)

Gender result effectiveness scale

  • Gender responsive

Pathway(s)

  • Systems pathway
  • Sci-tech pathway

Risk reduction target(s)

  • Improve resilience
  • Hazard control/mitigation

SDG target(s)

  • 15.2 Promote sustainable forest management, restoration, afforestation
  • 15.1 Conserve, restore, sustainably use terrestrial, freshwater ecosystems
  • 15.9 Integrate ecosystem values into national planning

Conventions and protocols

N/A

Private sector(s)

N/A

Hot topic

  • Structural/system transformation

About this project

Description

The project is designed to engineer a paradigm shift from unsustainable to sustainable forest management in NE Armenia. The target area contains 65% of ArmeniaÔÇÖs forest resources and provides essential ecosystem services including water provision (for urban use and food production), landslide control and carbon storage and sequestration. The forests also provide critical habitats for wildlife and hosts globally important biodiversity. Notwithstanding this significance, the areaÔÇÖs forests suffer from accelerating degradation, which is undermining ecosystem functions and derivative services. This degradation is largely attributed to the ongoing and historic deforestation and overexploitation of forest resources. The project will promote an integrated approach towards fostering sustainable forest management ÔÇô seeking to balance environmental management with development needs. Amongst other things, it will set-up a multi-sector planning platform to balance competing environmental, social and economic objectives in district development plans and associated investments. In doing so, it will reduce conflicting land-uses and improve the sustainability of forest management so as to maintain the flow of vital ecosystem services and sustain the livelihoods of local (and downstream) communities. The platform will be underpinned by a robust decision support system, monitoring framework so as to inform the planning process, and enforcement. Further, the project will demonstrate sustainable forest management practices ÔÇô testing new management measures, as needed to reduce environmental stressors.

Objectives

Sustainable land and forest management in the Northeastern Armenia secures continued flow of ecosystem services.

USD $3,068,493

Grant amount

USD $14,080,935

Leveraged amount (co-financing)

1

Source(s) of fund

Sources of fund

 

  • Global Environment Facility – Trust Fund ($3,068,493)

Implementing partner(s)

  • Government of Armenia

Project metrics

Outcome 1:

Integration of sustainable forest and land management objectives into planning and management of forest ecosystems in NE Armenia to reduce degradation and enhance ecosystem services in two marzes covering 0.65 million hectares

 Indicators:

Extent in hectares of forest area managed for multiple sustainable forest management and ecosystem benefits
Number of forest management plans integrating considerations of biodiversity, ecosystem services, climate mitigation and community resource use (integrating sustainable forest management principles)
Total avoided and/or sequestrated carbon benefits over ten-year period due to improved sustainable management of forests.
Number of forest dependents trained in technical skills for sustainable forest resource use
Number of forest enterprise branches effectively applying consideration of the needs for biodiversity, climate mitigation, forest ecosystem services and community sustainable use
Number of forest management plan protocols/guidelines for mainstreaming ecosystem, climate risk mitigation and biodiversity considerations into forest management in NE Armenia
Number of forest monitoring protocols to assess effectiveness of adoption for SFM in forestlands
Number of marz and enterprise branch forest staff trained in the use of ecosystem based planning tools
Number of pasture stakeholders undergone technical and skills training and development in sustainable pasture management
Number of recommendations on accounting for ecosystem services valuation and community resource use
Number of sets of forest inventory and maps in support of sustainable forest management for forest enterprise branches
Change in population trends for five indicator bird species
Emissions of metric tCO2 avoided from conservation set-asides over a10-year period
Hectares of high biodiversity conservation value forests designated identified and effectively managed for biodiversity and climate mitigation
Improvement in carbon sequestration capacity in metric tCO2 of restored forests over a 10-year period
Number of carbon stock assessment completed for key forest types in NE Armenia
Number of hectares degraded pasture and hay fields rehabilitated under sustainable management practices to reduce pressure on forest lands
Number of hectares of degraded forests regenerated through assisted natural regeneration
Number of hectares of forest land under multiple use regimes (sustainable NTFP production and agro-forestry) with participation of forest dependent communities
Number of recommendations for management of dependencies in firewood use from forests
Percentage decrease in number of livestock using natural forests for unsustainable grazing practices in targeted forest branches
Percentage of households reporting increased incomes from forest and non-forest resources in target communities, including percentage of beneficiaries among women
Percentage reduction in forest firewood collection areas in targeted forest branches Reduced areas of felling in target state forests
Outcome 2:

Sustainable Forest Management practices effectively demonstrating reduced pressure on high conservation forests and maintaining flow of ecosystem services
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Related resources

Geospatial information

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Project reports and documentation

 

Project Document (ProDoc)

FEATURED STORY

Mainstreaming Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Dry Mountain Landscapes

Story (Armenian)