Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Armenia is con- sidered a global conservation centre of wild wheat (Triticum), rye (Secale), barley (Hordeum) and ae- gilops (Aegilops). From Armenia, many species have been disseminated throughout the world [ ] 51 Ecoregional conservation programme in the Southern Caucasus region A project to establish protected areas in Armenia’s Javakhq (Ashotsk) Region (2007–2014) was implemented by the Ministry of Nature Protection and WWF as a part of the Caucasus Initiative launched by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co- operation and Development (BMZ). The project promotes transboundary cooperation between Armenia and Georgia for the conservation of the unique biodiversity of the Caucasus Ecoregion, in particular the Java- kheti-Shirak plateau in Armenia. The project also aimed to enhance sustainable rural development in the northern Shirak region through the establishment of the Arpi Lake Na- tional Park and the implementation of a support zone programme. Another project, to develop the protected area system of Armenia (2011–2014), was set up to conserve globally significant biodiversity in the country as well as to catalyze the expansion of sanctuaries, promote the ecosystems within Armenia’s current protected area system, and enable active conservation of biodi- versity. The project focused on two main issues: the rationalization of the protected areas system through improving the regulatory and insti- tutional framework for the establish- ment and functioning of sanctuaries; and institutional capacity building by piloting a number of management tools for specially protected nature areas (SPNA), which are mainly absent from Armenia’s current SPNA management system. The main outcomes of the project include the improvement of legislation; the devel- opment of methodological guidelines on “Establishment of institutional relations for clarification of the roles and responsibilities in the sanctuary management system”; the implemen- tation of works on mapping; a study and description of the boundaries for establishment of the planned Khustup and Gnishik protected areas as well as expansion of the existing Zangezur Sanctuary; the establishment of the Khustup Sanctuary and expansion of the Zangezur Sanctuary; the devel- opment of management and busi- ness plans for the Gnishik Protected Landscape; and the development of the state and local educational pro- grammes for sanctuary managers and local communities and training. Armenia Armenia D ue to its complex relief and altitudinal and zonal alternation, Armenia has six types of climate and ten landscape zones from semi-desert areas to snow covered highlands. With the country’s location at the intersection of three biogeographical provinces, the diversity of climatic conditions and active geological processes have resulted in the formation of diverse ecosystems and a rich biodiversity with a high level of endemism. Though comparatively small (30,000 km 2 ), the country is home to approximately 3,800 species of vascular plant, 428 species of soil and water algae, 399 species of moss, 4207 species of fungi, 464 species of lichen, 549 species of vertebrate and about 17,200 species of invertebrate, many of which are considered endemic. Armenia has one of the highest densities of vascular plants in the world with approximately 107 species per 1000 km 2 . UNDP Europe andci on flickr