Armenia - Overview

Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services

The Republic of Armenia is considered a small landlocked country located in the Caucasian region of Eurasia. The landscape diversity in Armenia and the peculiarity of its terrain represent critical factors for the formation and evolution of the flora and fauna in the country. The biodiversity in Armenia includes more than 200 edible plant species, 40 edible fungi species, more than 1000 fodder plants, 350 species of honey plants, 350 ether bearing plants, 120 dye plants, 100 vitamin producing plants and 60 rubber producing plants; around 10% of the flora in Armenia are considered to have medical properties... More »

Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)

Biodiversity loss has been most rapid in the last century as a result of the development of industry, agriculture, urbanization, energy and the intensive exploitation of forests, grasslands and other ecosystems. The main threats to biodiversity are directly or indirectly connected with anthropogenic forces and include habitat change, overexploitation, pollution through wastewaters and mineral fertilizers, overgrazing, plowing and illegal logging, tourism development, introduced alien species, climate change and poor irrigation systems that cause salinization and soil erosion... More »

Implementation of the NBSAP

The main goal of Armenia’s NBSAP is to ensure the conservation, sustainable use and regeneration of the landscapes and biological diversity of the Republic of Armenia for sustainable human development. As part of the NBSAP, 13 tasks have been proposed with a total of 245 actions and measures. Each of these actions and measures is relatively prioritized... More »

Actions taken to achieve the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets

Specially protected areas serve as a means to effectively preserve biodiversity in Armenia. Their total area comprises 379,187 hectares or 12.7% of the country’s total area (or 7% of the total area if the surface of Lake Sevan is excluded). Fifty-four percent of the specially protected areas consists of forest ecosystems; 70% of the country’s flora and fauna is protected in specially protected areas... More »

Support mechanisms for national implementation (legislation, funding, capacity-building, coordination, mainstreaming, etc.)

Three main strategic documents have been developed in Armenia which are directly connected to biodiversity conservation, namely: Second National Environmental Action Programme of the Republic of Armenia (approved by the Government of Armenia in 2008, containing priorities for biodiversity conservation that are directly related to the 2010 Biodiversity Target); Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of Armenia (1999); Strategy for Developing Specially Protected Areas and National Action Plan of Armenia (2002)... More »

Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing implementation

Multiple tools exist for monitoring and reviewing implementation. Within the framework of the Natural Resource Management and Poverty Reduction Project, the mapping of national parks, inventorying of biodiversity components and introduction of a system for biodiversity monitoring have been carried out.

Regarding aquatic ecosystems, the “Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre” (EIMC) (a State non-commercial organization of the Ministry of Nature Protection) carries out periodic monitoring of water quality in regard to more than 14 water basins in Armenia each year... More »