EA-Armenia

Context
In accordance with the Global Biodiversity Framework (CBD 2022), countries are working on recording and accounting for ecosystems and their diverse contributions to economic and social well-being. To start ecosystem accounting in Armenia at the national level, there is a lack of:

1. a systematic overview of currently available data (national and global) on biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services
2. a list of methods for organising ecosystem accounting based on publicly available data

Aim of the project
The recording and accounting of ecosystems and their diverse contributions to economic and social well-being - also referred to as ecosystem or natural capital accounting - is an attempt to give biodiversity a higher value. Against this background, the project is concerned with the further development of methodological approaches for the integration of ecosystem service assessments into accounting and reporting systems, in particular in Armenia's environmental economic accounts.

These objectives are intended to achieve the following effects in particular:

• Further mainstreaming of biodiversity and ecosystem services into various policy fields and decision-making levels
• Introduction of new environmental policy and economic approaches, compensation mechanisms, statistics/economic reporting in planning and application
• Better networking/communication of Armenian experts in international processes/initiatives such as SEEA-EA, CBD/GBF, IPBES, ESP

Procedure

• Develop know-how and expertise
• Data and initial accounts: Together (BCC Armenia, IOER and other experts from economics, statistics, remote sensing), a methodology is to be developed - based on SEEA-EA - on how ecosystems (especially changes in area), their condition (collectively referred to as ecosystem assets), ecosystem services through to monetisation can be quantified and evaluated.
• Information for decision-makers: Preparation of advisory documents for all project addressees and publications

Intended results

• Recommendations for the organisation of national ecosystem accounting in Armenia (list of data and methodology - table in the form of an Excel spreadsheet)
• Armenian-English glossary of terms in the field of ecosystem accounting
• Examples of the assessment of selected ecosystem services in Armenia at the national level, showing their importance
• Analysing the possibilities of ecosystem accounting in protected areas and how they differ from ecosystem accounting at the national level
• Information on the preparation of a package of educational materials on ecosystem accounting for different target groups
• Design an educational programme for potential implementers and participants of ecosystem accounting in Armenia
• Enhancing the knowledge and skills of project participants from scientific and public environmental organisations and BCC Armenia

Funding
This project is funded by the German Federal Environment Ministry’s Advisory Assistance Programme (AAP) for environmental protection in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and other countries neighboring the European Union. It is supervised by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the German Environment Agency (UBA).

The responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors.