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Nature
Protection in the Caucasus
Promoting
Transboundary Cooperation for
CBD Implementation
9-11
March 2006, Berlin - Germany
Background
The
Caucasus contains a wide variety of flora and fauna from both
Asia and Europe, and it is home to numerous species of plants
and animals found nowhere else on earth. WWF
International has identified the Caucasus as one of 238
ecoregions globally outstanding in its biodiversity. Conservation
International (CI) has included this region on the list
of the planet’s 25 most diverse and endangered biodiversity
hotspots.
Convention
on Biological Diversity
 The
Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) was ratified by all six
Caucasus countries (Armenia 1993, Georgia 1994, Russia 1995,
Iran 1996, Turkey 1997 and Azerbaijan 2000). The parties to
the CBD committed themselves to a more effective and coherent
implementation of the goals of the convention in order to
achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity
loss at the national, regional and global levels by 2010.
Halting
the loss of biodiversity until 2010 through implementation
of CBD and other conventions is also the goal of the Countdown
2010 Initiative, to which this conference will contribute
significantly.
Caucasus
Initiative
The Caucasus Initiative was launched by the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation
(BMZ) in 2001, and focuses particularly on the field of nature
protection and biodiversity conservation to promote regional
cooperation through cross-border projects.
The
BMZ Caucasus Initiative - Encouraging Understanding, March
2005 [pdf, 2.4 MB, English, 40 pages]
Die
Kaukasusinitiative des BMZ - Verstaendigung ermutigen
[pdf, 4.3 MB, German, 40 pages]
Ecoregional
Conservation Plan
WWF coordinated the development of an Ecoregional Conservation
Plan (ECP) in order to address overarching challenges and
threats to the extraordinary biodiversity of the ecoregion.
The ECP is a blueprint for biodiversity conservation and regional
development in the Caucasus – a comprehensive strategy for
action to conserve and restore the biodiversity of the ecoregion
over the span of several decades. It is a guiding document
for governments, aid agencies and donor organisations, and
is an effective planning instrument for the implementation
of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Brochure:
An Ecoregional Conservation Plan for the Caucasus, February
2006 [pdf, 454 KB, English, 14 pages]
Report:
Ecoregional Conservation Plan for the Caucasus, October
2005 (Final Draft) [pdf, 1.4 MB, English, 223 pages]
Report:
Ecoregional Conservation Plan for the Caucasus - Part 3,
October 2005 [pdf, 449 KB, Russian]
The
ECP was developed together with more than 160 stakeholders
from governments, universities and NGOs of the entire region.
This effort was supported by BMZ
/ KfW
Entwicklungsbank (KfW development bank) in the framework
of the BMZ Caucasus Initiative, by the MacArthur
Foundation and by the Critical
Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF).
Regional
Council
A “Regional Council for Biodiversity Conservation
and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Caucasus”
(Regional Council) was established with the financial support
of the MacArthur Foundation. Funding for its functioning is
provided by CEPF and WWF. The Regional Council is engaged
in policy advice, strategic overview of regional conservation
efforts, performance monitoring and evaluation of on-going
programs. The Council includes two representatives from each
of the six Caucasian countries, one from the governmental
and non-governmental sector, respectively.
Annual
Report 2005, Regional Council for Biodiversity Conservation
and Sustainable Resource Use in the Caucasus [pdf, 10.5
MB, English]
In
close cooperation with the Regional Council, two other technical
groups, with complementing objectives but non-overlapping
activities and target groups, will also operate in the region
in the coming years:
- The
regional Joint Transboundary Secretariat, to be established
with BMZ / KfW Entwicklungsbank support, will focus on improvement
of transboundary cooperation between the governments of
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It will also promote spatial
planning as an effective tool for biodiversity conservation
and sustainable use at the regional level.
- The
Regional Coordination Team, established with CEPF support,
will focus on strengthening the non-governmental sector
in the Caucasus countries, with the purpose of ensuring
that civil society is fully engaged in biodiversity conservation.
It
is recognised that there are many different institutions working
in the Caucasus on a variety of projects which can not all
be listed here. Many of them have participated in the ecoregional
planning for the Caucasus, and also share the priorities laid
out in the ECP.
Funds
for the Caucasus Ecoregion
It is recognised that governments play a vital role
in conserving the biodiversity of the Caucasus. However, due
to their limited financial resources, they need assistance
in order to fulfil this role. International institutions are
contributing in many aspects to the conservation of the Caucasus,
and also provide much needed assistance to governments. Besides
on-going and projected funding for various activities included
in the ECP, the establishment of two long-standing financial
mechanisms is envisaged:
- The
Trust Fund for the Caucasus Ecoregion, a joint initiative
of BMZ / KfW Entwicklungsbank and WWF, will focus on assisting
the existing protected areas in the South Caucasus with
the future option of supporting a broader spectrum of conservation
activities covering the whole ecoregion.
- The
Small Grants Fund for the Caucasus, a joint initiative of
CEPF and WWF, will mostly address the grass-root NGOs from
the region and support their efforts in conservation and
sustainable use of biological diversity according to ECP
priorities.
Prospectus:
The Caucasus Protected Areas Fund, October 2005 [pdf,
314 KB, English, 4 pages]
Regional Monitoring Network
The establishment of a Regional Monitoring Network
(RMN) is proposed in order to monitor the impact of conservation
actions according to the ECP on the status of biodiversity
in the Caucasus. The RMN will not only demonstrate the accomplishments
of the ECP, but will also provide a possibility to revise
it according to up-coming conservation needs and requirements.
The RMN will provide an opportunity for governmental, scientific
and non-governmental organisations to collaborate closely
and coordinate their monitoring activities.
Under
the auspices of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation
and Development.
Organised by Ecologic - Institute for International and European
Environmental Policy.
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