Cbd third National Report Armenia (English version)

Does your country take into consideration the proposals for the design and implementation of incentive measures as contained in Annex I to decision VI/15 when designing and implementing incentive measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity? (decision VI/15)
No	X
Yes (please provide details below)
Further information on the proposals considered when designing and implementing the incentive measures for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Has your country made any progress in removing or mitigating policies or practices that generate perverse incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity? (decision VII/18)
No
No, but identification of such policies and practices is under way	X
Yes, relevant policies and practices identified but not entirely removed or mitigated (please provide details below)
Yes, relevant policies and practices identified and removed or mitigated (please provide details below)
Further information on perverse incentives identified and/or removed or mitigated.

50. 
    
    

Please elaborate below on the implementation of this article and associated decisions specifically focusing on: outcomes and impacts of actions taken; contribution to the achievement of the goals of the Strategic Plan of the Convention; contribution to progress towards the 2010 target; progress in implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans; contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; constraints encountered in implementation.

Article 12 - Research and training

◊ On Article 12(a), has your country established programmes for scientific and technical education and training in measures for the identification, conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and its components?
No
No, but programmes are under development
Yes, programmes are in place (please provide details below)	X
Further information on the programmes for scientific and technical education and training in the measures for identification, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Scientific technical activities and capacity building process in the field of identification, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and its components are implemented within the framework of ecological education. The “Law on Ecological Education of the Population” (2001) serves as legislation basis for those activities. Law defines six levels for ecological education: primary, secondary, specialized, higher, post-graduate, and for the general public. In 2003 Ministry of Nature Protection of Armenia developed “Strategic Program on Ecological Education of the Republic of Armenia” which includes an Action Plan taking into consideration various levels of ecological education. Teaching and capacity building on biodiversity-related issues is implemented in the higher educational institutions of Armenia, where special courses on identification of biodiversity and its components, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is being taught at specialized departments (botany, zoology, ecology, etc.). Detailed specialized knowledge and skills are provided ay scientific-research institutes through post-graduate study. Learning and training on biodiversity abroad, especially in the countries of Europe and USA, is currently widespread among Armenian young specialists. Scientific technical education and training is also implemented in the framework of various project implemented by international organizations and their Armenian representations (World Bank, UNDP, GEF, OSCE, etc.). In the framework of “Improved Management of State Forests” component of the “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project 11 scientific-technical trainings with total participation of 91 individuals have been conducted in the period of 2003-2005 (Yerevan, Tavush marz, Zikatar regional training centre). The trainings were devoted to forest biodiversity, methodology of rapid assessment of forest biodiversity, sustainable forest management, planning for forest management, and other issues. Scientific and technical study-tours have been also conducted to such countries as Sweden, Denmark, Latvia, Austria, Germany and Czech Republic). Specialized trainings for staff of “Sevan” and “Dilijan” National Parks and local communities are currently underway under the “Biodiversity Conservation and Protected Area Management” component of the “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project. Those training are mainly devoted to such issues as inventory of flora and fauna species, biodiversity monitoring, mapping, application of GIS, etc. A comprehensive analysis of needs assessment, methodology development, and existing capacities in the educational and scientific-technical sphere for the three global environmental conventions have been implemented in the framework of “Environmental Education and Public Awareness” component of the “Armenian National Capacity Self-assessment for Global Environmental Management” project. It also included assessment of the capacities at various levels of educational system, evaluation of the existing status of environmental education and traneds of its further development.

◊ On Article 12(b), does your country promote and encourage research which contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity?
No	X
Yes (please provide details below)
Further information on the research which contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Scientific research on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use is generally implemented through state financing. However, due to lack of financing, only limited scientific research has been done by the institutions incorporated into the Biological Section of the NAS (Institute of Botany, Institute of Zoology, Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology, etc.).

◊ On Article 12(c), does your country promote and cooperate in the use of scientific advances in biological diversity research in developing methods for conservation and sustainable use of biological resources?
No
Yes (please provide details below)	X
Further information on the use of scientific advances in biodiversity research in developing methods for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Outcomes of the scientific research on diversity of flora and fauna (Red books, inventory, geographical distribution, status of habitats of Armenian flora species, investigation of behavior of fauna species, etc) are used while developing methodologies for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, including forest management planning, development of protected area management plans, sustainable management of natural resources, development and application of methodologies for biodiversity monitoring system.

51. 
    
    

Please elaborate below on the implementation of this article specifically focusing on: outcomes and impacts of actions taken; contribution to the achievement of the goals of the Strategic Plan of the Convention; contribution to progress towards the 2010 target; progress in implementing national biodiversity strategies and action plans; contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; constraints encountered in implementation.