Forest resilience of Armenia, enhancing adaptation and rural green growth via mitigation
Project Duration: 2021–2029
Target Regions: Lori and Syunik Marzes
Donors and Implementing Partners
The Forest Resilience of Armenia project is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and co-financed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Italy, with substantial financial contribution from the Government of Armenia. The project is executed by FAO and the Environmental Project Implementation Unit (EPIU), State Agency of the Ministry of Environment.
Project Objective
The project aims to contribute to achieving ecosystem-neutral greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while delivering measurable adaptation co-benefits – increasing resilience by at least 7% through:
- Promoting sustainable, climate-adaptive forestry investments; and
- Advancing energy efficiency improvements in fuelwood use.
Beneficiaries
Lori Marz: 105 rural communities across 8 municipalities
Syunik Marz: 102 rural communities across 7 municipalities
Project Components
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation through targeted forestry investments and technology transfer.
- Promoting Forest sustainability by reducing forest degradation drivers.
- Improved Forest Governance and institutional frameworks for sustainable forest use.
Key Achievements
Nurseries, Seedlings, and Forest Management
- Established two nurseries in Hrazdan and Sisian.
- Produced over 570,000 seedlings, supporting large-scale reforestation efforts.
- Developed seed collection and preservation protocols to ensure genetic diversity and quality of planting materials
- Established two cold storage facilities in Hrazdan and Sisian for seed preservation, enhancing the long-term storage, viability, and traceability of forest reproductive material.
- Completed 103 hectares of afforestation and set up 10 demonstration plots.
- Conducted comprehensive training sessions on coppice forest management.
- Procured tractors, wood shredders, and specialized forestry equipment to strengthen operational capacity of Hayantar SNCO
Capacity Building and Education
- Updated forestry and climate curricula at National Polytechnic University of Armenia and National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, and other VET institutions.
- Delivered training programs on climate-adaptive planting, forest maintenance, silviculture, welding, and energy efficiency.
- Published a technical guide on plant production, introducing new species to Armenia’s nurseries.
Energy Efficiency
- Designed an energy-efficient woodstove concept, with four prototypes currently in development.
- Developed four national energy efficiency standards, which have been officially adopted, exceeding the initial target of one.
- Finalized national guidelines for sustainable and climate-adaptive forest governance.
National Forest Monitoring and Assessment (NFMA)
- Completed a Collect Earth survey assessing Armenia’s land categories.
- Developed methodology for and operationalized the NFMA System, ensuring long-term monitoring of forest resources.
- Built the capacity of relevant government agencies to effectively use and maintain the NFMA system for evidence-based forest policy and management.
- Completed 100% of Year 1 field data collection and 50% for Year 2.
- Finalized 2024 planting site mapping through aerial imagery; 2025 mapping is currently underway.