Environmental News

REC Caucasus and UNDP Armenia Organize Event Dedicated to International Year of Forests

REC Caucasus News
March 28, 2011

REC Caucasus Armenia BO and UNDP Armenia organized an event dedicated to the International Year of Forests 2011 on March 21, 2011 at the UN Conference Hall in Yerevan. Representatives of the EU Delegation to Armenia, government agencies and local communities, donor organizations and NGOs involved in forest management and preservation attended the event.

The event entailed presentations on implementation of EU funded regional project on Fostering Community Forest Policy and Practice in Mountain Regions of the Caucasus (FCFPP) implemented by REC Caucasus and the UNDP/GEF project on “Adaptation to Climate Change Impacts in Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Armenia” and presentations on the State Policy Issues on Community Forest Management and current practices of community forest management planning.

The meeting was commenced by the opening speeches of UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Dirk Boberg, Head of Operation Department of EU Delegation to Armenia Mr. Christopher, Head of International Relations of RA Ministry of Nature Protection Ms. Kokhmazyan and Deputy Director, Chief Forester of Hayantar SNCO Mr. Ruben Petrosyan. The importance of forests ecosystems and their protection, and unanimous efforts targeting preservation of forests was underlined.

Deputy Director, Chief Forester of Hayantar SNCO Mr. Petrosyan made a presentation on the main issues of community forest management. He mentioned that 75.2 percent of Armenian forests were managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and 24.8 percent of Armenian forests were under the control of the Ministry of Nature Protection. The control of forests was under the liability of MNP and the MoA and forest management was under the liability of MoA. Mr. Petrosyan presented statistical analysis on forest lands and forest covered areas in Armenia’s regions. He also enumerated international organizations which implemented forest related projects in recent years in Armenia such as REC Caucasus, UNDP, FAO, FLEG, WWF, and NFG. Mr. Petrosyan also stressed the importance of community forest management in Armenia.

REC Caucasus ABO Director Ms. Harutyunyan made a presentation on community forest management, climate change mitigation within the context of community participation, and the objectives, achievements, and expected results of the FCFPP project. In her presentation Ms. Harutyunyan emphasized the main guidelines to increase awareness and promote public participation to mitigate climate change. She also stated that community awareness and education on deforestation, reforestation, biodiversity preservation, forest ecosystems, and sustainable forest management are the main tools to combat climate change and create positive impacts on the environment, thus conserving ecosystems and reducing greenhouse gases.

UNDP Climate Change Programme Coordinator Ms. Diana Harutyunyan made a presentation on the overall objectives, achievements, and implementation of the UNDP/GEF project implemented in Syunik region. Ms. Harutyunyan emphasized that the Syunik forests comprise 20 percent of Armenian forests and have a great importance on the flora and fauna of Armenia. She also spoke about the prevention and quick response activities and mechanisms of forest fires.

Director of Forest Research and Experimental Center SNCO Mr. Ghulijanyan made a presentation on the current practices of community forest management and on the reforestation plan implemented for the Koghb and Djujevan communities within the FCFPP project and also mentioned the importance of elaboration of Forest National Guideline for the communities.

Forests are among the most important providers of ecosystem services for the whole world. The ecological services of forests are many. Forests provide consumption goods, regulate local and global climate, buffer weather events, regulate the hydrological cycle, protect watersheds and their vegetation, water flows and soils, and provide a vast store of genetic information.

This event made a contribution to the goal of the International Year of Forests 2011 and raised awareness about the importance of forest ecosystems, their protection, regeneration, and recovery.

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