Armenia: Foreign Assistance ACT 119 Biodiversity Analysis
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PHOTO: ANDREAS TREPTE USAID/ARMENIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS SEPTEMBER 2020 DISCLAIMER This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Cadmus Group LLC and ICF prepared this report under USAID’s Environmental Compliance Support (ECOS) Contract, Contract Number GS00Q14OADU119, Order No. 7200AA18N00001 for USAID/Armenia. ECOS is implemented by ICF and its subcontractors. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. USAID/ARMENIA FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT 119 BIODIVERSITY ANALYSIS SEPTEMBER 2020 Prepared by: The Cadmus Group LLC and ICF FAA 119 Analysis Team: Elisa Perry, Raymond von Culin, Alla Aleksanyan, Karen Aghababyan, Paola Bernazzani, Jaime Capron, Carmen Saab, Taner Durusu The Cadmus Group, L.L.C. 100 Fifth Avenue, Suite 100 Waltham, MA 02451 +1-617-673-7000 Fax +1-617-673-7001 www.cadmusgroup.com ICF 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031 USA +1-703-934-3000 www.icf.com ACRONYMS ADB Asian Development Bank ADS Automated Directives System AMD Armenia Dram CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CDCS Country Development Cooperation Strategy CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CR Critically Endangered CSO Civil Society Organization DO Development Objective DRG (USAID) Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance EAEU Eurasian Economic Union EaP Eastern Partnership EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EN Endangered ENP European Neighbourhood Policy EU European Union FAA Foreign Assistance Act FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GDP Gross Domestic Product GEF Global Environmental Facility GHG Greenhouse Gas GIS Geographic Information System GOAM Government of Armenia HDI Human Development Index IAS Invasive Alien Species IBA Important Bird Area ICS Integrated Country Strategy ICT Information and communications technology IPA Important Plant Area IRs Intermediate Results IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated USAID/ARMENIA | BIODIVERSITY (FAA 119) ANALYSIS i KBA Key Biodiversity Area kWh kilowatt-hour LC Least Concerned MLET Market Liberalization and Electricity Trade Program MoE Ministry of Environment MW megawatt NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan NGO Non-governmental Organization NT Near Threatened PAD Project Appraisal Document PES Payment for Ecosystem Services PPP Public Private Partnership REC Caucasus Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus SPNA Specially Protected Nature Areas UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government VU Vulnerable WWF World Wildlife Fund USAID/ARMENIA | BIODIVERSITY (FAA 119) ANALYSIS ii CONTENTS ACRONYMS ........................................................................................................................................................................................ I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................................. V INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 PURPOSE .......................................................................................................................................................................... 1 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE USAID PROGRAM IN ARMENIA ..................................................................... 1 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 COUNTRY CONTEXT ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 LOCATION AND COUNTRY CONTEXT ............................................................................................................. 2 BIOPHYSICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................................................... 3 STATUS OF ARMENIA’S BIODIVERSITY .......................................................................................................................... 5 MAJOR ECOSYSTEM TYPES AND STATUS ............................................................................................................ 5 NATIONAL BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ..................................................................................................................... 9 STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS ................................................................................ 10 STATUS AND MANAGEMENT OF KEY NATURAL RESOURCES OUTSIDE PROTECTED AREAS .... 15 VALUE AND ECONOMIC POTENTIAL ......................................................................................................................... 16 VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY ......................................................................................................................................... 17 ECOSYSTEM GOODS AND SERVICES .................................................................................................................. 19 LEGAL FRAMEWORK AFFECTING CONSERVATION ............................................................................................. 25 NATIONAL LAWS, POLICIES, AND STRATEGIES ............................................................................................. 25 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS ........................................................................................................................... 26 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS ............................................................................. 28 CONSERVATION INITIATIVES: GAP ANALYSIS ................................................................................................ 29 6 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................................................... 30 6.1 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ..................................................................................................................................... 31 6.2 DRIVERS OF THREATS ................................................................................................................................................. 38 7 ACTIONS TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY .................................................................................................................... 43 8 “EXTENT TO WHICH” USAID CONTRIBUTES TO ACTIONS NECESSARY ....................................................... 51 9 RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 61 9.1 RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON ACTIONS NECESSARY TO CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY ............... 61 9.2 RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE NEW CDCS ....................................................................................... 61 ANNEXES ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 69 ANNEX A. SCOPE OF WORK ......................................................................................................................................... 70 ANNEX B. KEY ANALYSIS TEAM MEMBER BIOS ....................................................................................................... 76 ANNEX C. LIST OF REFERENCES CONSULTED........................................................................................................ 78 ANNEX D. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION GUIDANCE .................................................................................. 87 ANNEX E. TABLE OF NATIONAL LAWS AND STRATEGIES RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY ....................... 88 ANNEX F. TABLE OF KEY GOVERNMENT-ADMINISTERED SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURE AREAS (SPNAS) ................................................................................................................................................................................... 92 USAID/ARMENIA | BIODIVERSITY (FAA 119) ANALYSIS iii ANNEX G. KEY CONSERVATION INITIATIVES ........................................................................................................ 94 ANNEX H. MAPS .................................................................................................................................................................. 97 LIST OF TABLES TABLE ES 1. RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON THE CURRENT CDCS ........................................................................ 1 TABLE 1. USAID/ARMENIA PROGRAM ..................................................................................................................................... 2 TABLE 2. NATIONAL PARKS OF ARMENIA .......................................................................................................................... 11 TABLE 3. STATE RESERVES OF ARMENIA .............................................................................................................................