SIXTH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity EXECUTIVE SUMMERY The issues concerning the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity of the Republic of Armenia are an important and integral part of the country's environmental strategy that are aimed at the prevention of biodiversity loss and degradation of the natural environment, ensuring the biological diversity and human well- being. Armenia's policy in this field is consistent with the following goals set out in the 2010-2020 Strategic Plan of the Convention on Biological Diversity (hereinafter CBD): 1. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society 2. Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use 3. To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity 4. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services (hereinafter ES) 5. Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building. The government of the Republic of Armenia approved ''the Strategy and National Action Plan of the Republic of Armenia on Conservation, Protection, Reproduction and Use of Biological Diversity'' (BSAP) in 2015 based on the CBD goals and targets arising thereby supporting the following directions of the strategy of the Republic of Armenia on biodiversity conservation and use: 2 Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity 1. Improvement of legislative and institutional frameworks related to biodiversity. 2. Enhancement of biodiversity and ecosystem conservation and restoration of degraded habitats. 3. Reduction of the direct pressures on biodiversity and promotion of sustainable use. 4. Elimination of the main causes of biodiversity loss through regulation of intersectoral relations and public awareness raising. 5. Enhancement of scientific research, knowledge management and capacity building in the field of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. In addition, delivering on the country's obligations under the CBD, and taking into account the ongoing international developments and the ecological and nature conservation related issues present in Armenia, RA Government approved "the Strategy and State Program of Conservation and Use of Specially Protected Nature Areas of the Republic of Armenia" (SPNA SAP) in 2014. The document set the following strategic objectives of development of SPNAs of Armenia, including: 1. Ensuring environmental sustainability and healthy and favorable environment for the population of the country through the development and enhancement of the SPNAs system. 2. Protection of ecological, socio-economic, scientific, educational, recreational and spiritual values of SPNAs that must be undertaken through the conservation, restoration and long-term use of ecosystems, genetic resources, biological and landscape diversity. Based on the provisions of the above-mentioned fundamental documents, national targets (NTs) that are in line with the strategic directions of biodiversity will be presented and discussed in the relevant sections. CHACHAPPPPTERTER 111 INFORMATION RELATING TO THE NATIONAL TARGETS IMPLEMENTED AT NATIONAL LEVEL 3 Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Armenia has assumed adequate obligations under the Strategic plan for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use 2011-2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. National Target 1: Enshrine the mechanism of monetarymonetary valuation of biobiodiversitydiversity and ecosystem services in the legislation of the Republic of ArmeniaArmenia.... Logical justification of the target In recent years, both in the world and Armenia, the public interest on the role and value of ecosystems and the improvement of the quality of life through services provided by them has increased dramatically. The use of an ecosystem approach in the decision- making concerning natural resources can help governments, communities and other stakeholders provide many benefits for the land users, landowners and the public. However, currently the values of biodiversity and ESs in Armenia are not fully reflected in decision-making processes and are largely ignored during the country's socio-economic development planning. The incorporation of monetary valuation of the biodiversity and ESs into the economic development and poverty reduction strategies will require their adequate evaluation and enhancement of cooperation between the various stakeholders and the government. Realistic valuation of the ESs will allow evaluating the potential environmental losses expected during the implementation of projects in different areas, considering possible alternatives and choosing the options having the least negative impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. Depending on the country's capacities, biodiversity and ESs can be evaluated step- by-step. Starting with the values, that are easy to evaluate and proceeding to others. It should be noted, that "Armenia Development Strategy for 2014-2025" approved by the RA Government Decree N 442-N from, March 27, 2014 did not define ESs valuation concept as well as the need to establish a legal basis for it. Consequently, the issue relating to the improvement of the environmental legislation is challenging, since it does not provide for the regulation of processes using the ecosystem approach model, such as the complex planning of environmental and natural 4 Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity resource conservation and utilization, enhancing the regeneration capacity of natural resources through best available technologies, and implementation of joint monitoring, management of information systems and ensuring interconnected components of the nature. The need for economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services must be legally enforced during planning and implementation of any economic project that affects the natural environment, as well as during assessment of ecological deprivations, while the principles of economic evaluation should be approved by the state. It should be noted that the majority of the population of our country is not well informed about the environmental gains. As a result of implementation of this target the awareness of Armenia's population will contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and ESs. The level of application of this target: National X The llinkinginking between thethethe National Target and Aichi Targets: X 1 6 11 16 X 2 7 12 17 3 8 13 18 4 9 14 19 5 10 15 20 Other Important Information In order to contribute to the implementation of this national target, the following action was included in the BSAP: "1.1 Identify the ecosystem services cost estimation methodology and test it in specially protected nature areas "and in the SPNA -SAP" 5 Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Evaluating the benefits received from services provided by the ecosystems of the SPNAs and raising awareness about ESS within the local population’’. This will create prerequisites for a realistic assessment of the value of the ESs, as well as enhancing the role and significance of SPNAs through the improvement of natural resources use management mechanisms. Relevant web sites, links and files www.arlis.am ; www.mnp.am National Target 22: Define the mechanisms for the assessassessinging biological resources and determining thetheiriririr use quantities; improveimprovementment of the bioresources management systemsystem.... Logical justification of the target In Armenia, biological resources are widely exploited (use of subalpine and alpine meadows as natural pastures, harvesting of edible and medicinal herbs, berries, hunting and etc.) and in some cases overexploited (forest resources, fishing). At the same time, the use of bio resources has essentially been carried out spontaneously without taking into consideration the natural reproduction potential of the resources and the necessary preconditions for ensuring it. A vivid example of overexploitation is the drastic reduction of fish stocks in the Lake Sevan, particularly the whitefish stock, which is in fact a result of mismanagement and ignoration of scientific justifications. The collapse of the whitefish population in the lake is explained by the unprecedented scales of poaching and breach of hunting rules, due to which, despite the ban on hunting of that fish, the individuals that have not yet reached maturity were captured. The improvement of the living conditions of the population are to be ensured through the use of such renewable natural resources in the economic activities that exclude their depletion and guarantee their recovery for the benefit of future generations. Non-wood forest use by the local population often occurs irregularly, disturbing the natural state of forest biodiversity, reducing the number of beneficial plant populations and the ecosystem integrity. Forest management plans developed for the forestry 6 Sixth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity enterprises do not contain planned activities on ensuring the migration of animals, determination of the amount of bio-resources subject to inventory and use, as well as on sustainable non-wood forest use. Forest inventory, maintenance of forest cadastre and biodiversity monitoring, as well as special forestry studies are inadequately