Mainstreaming Sustainable Land
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United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility Country: Republic of Armenia PROJECT DOCUMENT Project Title: Mainstreaming Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Mountain Landscapes of North-eastern Armenia UNDAF Outcome(s): Environmental Sustainability UNDAF Outcome 4: Environment and Sustainable Development UNDP Strategic Plan Outcome 1: Growth and development are inclusive and sustainable, incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded. UNDP Strategic Plan Outputs: 1.3. Solutions developed at national and sub-national levels for sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystem services, chemicals and waste. Relevant CP/CPAP Outcome(s) and Indicator (s) Outcome: 4.1. Armenia is better able to address key environmental challenges including climate change and natural resource management. Output: 4.1.1. National policies and tools for implementation of and compliance with international environmental agreements are developed and adopted Implementing Partner: Ministry of Nature Protection Responsible Partners: United Nations Development Programme Brief Description Armenia is located at the junction of the biogeographic zones of the Lesser Caucasus and the Iranian and Mediterranean zones and exhibits both a great range of altitudinal variation and a diversity of climatic zones. Together this has resulted in a diversity of landscapes and ecological communities with a distinct flora and fauna, including many regionally endemic, relict, and rare species. Across much of the country, these landscapes face moderate to severe deforestation and overgrazing pressures, corresponding in high rates of erosion, increasing soil salinity, lowered soil fertility, and loss of biodiversity. The main cause of land and forest degradation in North- Eastern Armenia, where 64% of the forests of the country are located is the deforestation and overexploitation of forest resources. sustainable land and forest management approaches as being postulated under the project. To achieve the shift from current unsustainable to sustainable forest and land use practice, the project objective will ensure sustainable land and forest management to secure continued flow of multiple ecosystem services. This would be achieved through two main components, namely: (i) Integration of sustainable forest and land management objectives into planning and management of forest ecosystems to reduce degradation and enhance ecosystem services in two marzes covering 0.65 million hectares; and (ii) Sustainable Forest Management practices effectively demonstrating reduced pressure on high conservation forests and maintaining flow of ecosystem services. Programme Period: 2015-2019 Total resources required: $16,967,104 Atlas Project ID: 00081940 Total allocated resources (cash): Output ID: 00091048 • Regular (UNDP) $180,000 PIMS #: 4416 • GEF $ 2,977,169 Start date: September 2015 • Other: End Date: September 2019 Government $ 5,095,000 Management o Other $ 662,700 Arrangements: (NIM) o In-kind $ 8,052,235 PAC Meeting Date: TBD o Page 1 of 137 Agreed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia: Date/Month/Year Signature Agreed by the (Executing Entity/ Implementing Partner: Date/Month/Year Signature Agreed by UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia: Date/Month/Year Signature Page 2 of 137 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I: SITUATION ANALYSIS ...................................................................................................... 8 1. PROJECT CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.1 Geographic and environmental context .............................................................................................. 8 1.2 Biodiversity Context ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.3 Current status of forests and land resources in North-eastern Armenia ........................................... 10 1.4 Threats to the Land and Forest Resources of North-eastern Armenia .............................................. 16 1.5 Barriers to addressing threats ............................................................................................................ 19 1.6 Baseline activities/programs and scenario without GEF support ..................................................... 23 2. STRATEGY .................................................................................................................................... 27 2.1 Rationale and Summary of GEF Alternative .................................................................................... 27 2.2 Project objective, outcomes and outputs ........................................................................................... 35 2.3 Socio-economic benefits including gender dimensions.....................................................................49 2.4 Cost effectiveness…………………………………………………………………………………..52 2.5 Social, Economic and Financial Sustainability…………………………………………………….52 2.6 Replicability……………………………………………………………………………………….54 3. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS........................................................................................................ 55 4. COORDINATION WITH OTHER INITIATIVES ......................................................................... 60 SECTION II: STRATEGIC RESULTS FRAMEWORK (SRF) ............................................................... 66 TOTAL BUDGET AND WORKPLAN .................................................................................................... 76 5. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................................... 82 6. MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND EVALUATION ................................................................ 87 7. COMMUNICATION AND VISIBILITY REQUIREMENT ............................................................. 91 8. LEGAL CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................... 92 ANNEX 1: RISK ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................ 93 ANNEX 2: TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR KEY PROJECT STAFF ............................................ 96 ANNEX 3: STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT PLAN ............................................................... 99 ANNEX 4: UNDP ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SCREENING ....................................... 109 ANNEX 5: PILOT DISTRICT AND SITE DATA SHEETS ....................................................... 110 ANNEX 6: CARBON CALCULATIONS (USING ANNEX A FROM PIF AS A START) ............ 117 ANNEX 7: TRACKING TOOLS ............................................................................................. 126 ANNEX 8: INCREMENTAL COST MATRIX ......................................................................... 127 ANNEX 9: LETTER OF AGREEMENT ON DIRECT PROJECT SERVICES ........................ 134 SECTION III: CO-FINANCING LETTERS ................................... 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Page 3 of 137 Page 4 of 137 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: List of specially protected areas in Lori and Tavush Marzes Table 2: Reference on landforms within the balance of Specially Protected Areas and forestry branches of the RA Table 3: Inconsistencies in land distribution Table 4: List of stakeholders Table 5: List of relevant and complimentary projects Table 6: M& E work plan and budget Table 7: Incremental cost matrix Page 5 of 137 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AMD Armenian Dram (Currency) AFOLU Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses ADA Austrian Development Cooperation BD Biodiversity BMZ Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany BSAP Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan CR Critically Endangered C Carbon CC Climate Change CO2 Carbon Dioxide CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBO Community Based Organization ENPI European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument ESCO Energy Services Company EU European Union FE Forest Enterprise FLEG Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Program FMP Forest Management Plans GEF Global Environmental Facility GHG Green House Gases GIZ German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation GOA Government of Armenia HCV High Conservation Value HCVF High Conservation Value Forests ICARE Center for Agribusiness Research and Education IPCC Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LD Land Degradation LULUCF Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry LPAC Local Project Approval Committee LSG Local Support Group Marz (Marzes) Administrative Divisions of Armenia Marzpets Marz Governors MNP Ministry of Nature Protection Page 6 of 137 MOA Ministry of Agriculture MOU Memorandum of Understanding NAP National Action Program to Combat Desertification NFMIS National Forest Monitoring Information System NGO Non-Governmental Organization NTFP Non-Timber Forest Product PB Project Board PC Project Coordinator PPG Project Preparation Grant PIU Project Implementation Unit RECC Regional Environmental Centre for Caucasus REDD Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation SFM Sustainable Forest Management SLM Sustainable Land Management SNCO State Non-Commercial Organization SPA Strategic Priority for Adaptation SVC Service Value Chain t tons TL Project Team Leader UNCBD United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity UNCCD United Nations Conventions to Combat