Armenia is a mountainous country located between 375 and 4,090 meters above sea level and is home to a variety of ecosystems, including semideserts, juniper woodlands, deciduous forests, grasslands, and wetlands. It hosts 17,700 species of animals (including over 500 endemic species) and 3,500 species of vascular plants (including 144 endemic species). Armenia is one of 35 global biodiversity hotspots and is part of the Caucasus ecoregion that makes a biogeography bridge between Europe and Asia. Among other ecosystems, wetlands and forests are of highest importance for biodiversity conservation and the mitigation of climate change worldwide.
A Nation's Struggle with Land Degradation
Armenia's forests and wetlands are among the most valuable ecosystems, providing habitat for a diverse range of species and offering essential ecosystem services. However, overexploitation, climate change, and poor land management practices have led to significant degradation. Forest cover has dwindled to just 9.3%, and wetlands have been reduced drastically, impacting biodiversity and increasing vulnerability to climate change.
Wetlands in Armenia, covering 492,200 hectares or 16.5% of the country's area, are highly productive ecosystems that support rich biodiversity and provide essential ecosystem services such as water quality improvement, floodwater storage, and carbon sequestration. However, over a century of purposeful drainage, particularly during the Soviet period, has significantly reduced wetland areas, leading to a decline in biodiversity, water retention capacity, and carbon storage.
The degradation of these landscapes has far-reaching consequences. Soil erosion, uncontrolled surface runoff, landslides, and flooding are common, leading to economic losses and increased greenhouse gas emissions. Wetland degradation has also caused changes in humidity, increased droughts, and decreased productivity of grasslands, posing additional risks for livestock husbandry. The costs of inaction on forest and wetland degradation in Armenia are currently over US$80 million (equivalent to 0.4% of the country’s gross domestic product, GDP) and will increase to over US$128 million in 2050 if no additional restorative actions are taken. Proper forest and wetland management is crucial to reverse these effects.
Addressing land degradation requires coordinated efforts across multiple institutions. The RESILAND project supports capacity-building initiatives that aim to strengthen governance structures, enhance policy coordination, and promote an integrated approach to landscape restoration. By fostering collaboration among key stakeholders, the project seeks to create a more effective enabling environment for sustainable land management.
A Comprehensive Approach to Restoration
Recognizing the urgent need for action, the Armenian government, with support from the World Bank, has launched the RESILAND: Armenia Resilient Landscapes Project. This ambitious initiative aims to restore degraded forests and wetlands, promote sustainable economic activities, and strengthen institutional capacities for landscape management.
The project follows an integrated approach, focusing on four key components:
- Institutional Capacity and Policy Development: This component aims to develop appropriate policies and strengthen institutional capacities for integrated landscape management. It includes policy reviews, capacity-building activities, and awareness-raising programs.
- Landscape Restoration: This component focuses on restoring degraded forests and wetlands in selected areas. Activities include planting indigenous trees, restoring wetland habitats, and reclaiming abandoned mining sites.
- Promoting Communities' Benefits: This component aims to increase community economic benefits through the development of agroforestry, commercialization of non-timber forest products, and ecotourism. It also includes infrastructure development to reduce pressure on forest resources.
- Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Communication: This component supports the operational costs of the Project Implementation Unit, ensuring effective project management, monitoring, and communication.
Transforming Challenges into Opportunities
The RESILAND project was officially launched in fall of 2024. In the Lori and Syunik provinces, the project aims to restore fragmented forests in Lori and Syunik provinces, and revitalize degraded wetlands in the Ararat Plain and Lori Plateau. These efforts will not only enhance biodiversity but also create new economic opportunities for local communities.
For example, the restoration of wetlands has already been attracting birdwatchers and other nature enthusiasts, boosting ecotourism in the region. Local communities will further benefit from new green jobs and sustainable economic activities, such as the collection and processing of wild fruits, berries, and medicinal herbs.
The project will directly benefit communities in targeted landscapes by enhancing access to alternative economic opportunities, such as sustainable agroforestry, non-timber forest product (NTFP) commercialization, and ecotourism development. It will also emphasize inclusive approaches, ensuring that minority groups and women-led initiatives have opportunities to participate in and benefit from restoration efforts.
A Vision for the Future
The RESILAND project is a testament to Armenia's commitment to sustainable development and environmental conservation. By restoring degraded landscapes and promoting sustainable economic activities, Armenia is not only addressing its environmental challenges but also paving the way for a greener, more resilient future.
In addition, with the support of the World Bank Global Program on Sustainability (GPS), the RESILAND Armenia project is: i) strengthening policies by conducting an institutional assessment to improve policies and legislation for ecotourism, NTFP economic activities, and community participation in landscape management, including a gender analysis; ii) measure biodiversity outcomes and dependencies consistent with the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework, which provides a consistent framework to measure biodiversity outcomes across time, locations, and inform Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and iii) conducting market scans and economic analysis for NTFP commercialization and ecotourism, with a gender-inclusive approach.
As the project progresses, it will continue to serve as a model for other countries facing similar challenges, demonstrating the power of integrated landscape restoration to transform lives and landscapes.
The GPS-supported assessments and analyses will help integrate sustainability into Armenia’s policy and economic planning, ensuring that landscape restoration efforts are both environmentally and financially viable. By strengthening policies, identifying market opportunities, and aligning restoration efforts with global frameworks, the project will create a foundation for sustainable economic growth, enhanced community resilience, and long-term environmental conservation. These efforts are particularly timely as Armenia prepares to host COP 17 in 2026, highlighting the country’s commitment to landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation on the global stage.
