Cbd third National Report Armenia (English version)

Annex to decision V/5 - Programme of work on agricultural biodiversity

Programme element 1 – Assessment
Has your country undertaken specific assessments of components of agricultural biodiversity such as on plant genetic resources, animal genetic resources, pollinators, pest management and nutrient cycling?
No
Yes, assessments are in progress (please specify components below)	X
Yes, assessments completed (please specify components and results of assessments below)
Further comments on specific assessments of components of agricultural biodiversity.
A number of strategic and programmatic documents contain provisions on the necessity of assessment of agricultural biodiversity and its components – plant (including forests) and animal resources (refer also to Goal 3, Target 3.1). Some projects/activities implemented in this field are: In situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives Through Enhanced Information Manage and Field Application; Conservation and utilization in breeding of wild relatives of cereals in Armenia USDA-CRESS-International cooperation For Agricultural Research In Central Asia And The Caucasus, Inventory and assessment of fauna and flora resources in “Sevan” and “Dilijan” National Par (within the “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project) Inventory of forest biodiversity as a constitute activity of development of forest management plans in 5 forest industries of Tavush marz (within the “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project) Inventory of flora species of “Khosrov” and “Shikahogh” state reserves (from state budget resources) Recording and inventory of agricultural animals are planned to start in 2006 by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Is your country undertaking assessments of the interactions between agricultural practices and the conservation and sustainable use of the components of biodiversity referred to in Annex I of the Convention (e.g. ecosystems and habitats; species and communities; genomes and genes of social, scientific or economic importance)?
No	X
Yes, assessments are under way
Yes, some assessments completed (please provide details below)
Yes, comprehensive assessments completed (please provide details below)
Further comments on assessment of biodiversity components (e.g. ecosystems and habitats; species and communities; genomes and genes of social, scientific or economic importance).
Evaluation of the inter-connections between agricultural practices and conservation of biodiversity components has not been implemented. During the implementation of short-term scientific projects on application of new preparations to combat crop diseases and for pest control (implemented by “Program on Support to Agriculture”, World Bank, USDA), comparative analysis of the efficiency of old and new preparations was carried out. However, due to technical, methodological and financial constraints their possible impacts on environment have not been assessed.

Has your country carried out an assessment of the knowledge, innovations and practices of farmers and indigenous and local communities in sustaining agricultural biodiversity and agro-ecosystem services for food production and food security?
No
Yes, assessment is under way	X
Yes, assessment completed (please specify where information can be retrieved below)
Further comments on assessment of the knowledge, innovations and practices of farmers and indigenous and local communities.
In the framework of “Community-based Management of Watersheds” component of “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project, during the development of community management plans in Gegharkunik and Tavush marzes several assessments of traditional knowledge and community skills on conservation and use of agrobiodiversity are executed.

Has your country been monitoring an overall degradation, status quo or restoration/rehabilitation of agricultural biodiversity since 1993 when the Convention entered into force?
No	X
Yes, no change found (status quo)
Yes, overall degradation found (please provide details below)
Yes, overall restoration or rehabilitation observed (please provide details below)
Further comments on observations.
Coordinated monitoring on general degradation of agricultural biodiversity is not implemented. However, some project has been and are implemented in various fields of agriculture that evaluated the level of agrobiodiversity degradation resulted of anthropogenic economic impacts and climatic factors. Compared with 1993 decrease in the populations of a great number of wild plants, endemic species and crop wild relatives has been recorded. The reasons caused such decrease include land privatization, increase of construction works, reduction in forested and green areas due to illegal logging, and other factors. Restriction of the diversity of such species as cereals and grapes due to genetic erosion processes was recorded. Relative distribution of some crops was changed resulting to reduction of areas of edible and technical crops (fruits, grapes) and increase of cereals and potato arable lands.

Programme element 2 - Adaptive management
Has your country identified management practices, technologies and policies that promote the positive, and mitigate the negative, impacts of agriculture on biodiversity, and enhance productivity and the capacity to sustain livelihoods?
No
No, but potential practices, technologies and policies being identified
Yes, some practices, technologies and policies identified (please provide details below)	X
Yes, comprehensive practices, technologies and policies identified (please provide details below)
Further comments on identified management practices, technologies and policies.
Refer to points 2.1 and 3.1 for management and applied programs on mitigation of harmful impact of agriculture on biodiversity. According to the adopted documents, the priority issues of different fields of agriculture include the following provisions on biodiversity conservation and sustainable use: use of preparations that are relatively harmless for environment; use of integrated management methods to combat crop diseases and for pest control; use of biological methods of plant protection; conservation and restoration of natural pastures and grasslands; development of comprehensive programs on use of farthest pastures; regulation of distribution and use of genetically modified crops extension of the production of ecologically pure agricultural products conservation of the gene find of crop wild relatives and agricultural animals for extension and improvement of their breeding.

Programme element 3 - Capacity-building
Has your country increased the capacities of farmers, indigenous and local communities, and their organizations and other stakeholders, to manage sustainable agricultural biodiversity and to develop strategies and methodologies for In-situ conservation, sustainable use and management of agricultural biological diversity?
No
Yes (please specify area/component and target groups with increased capacity)	X
Further comments on increased capacities of farmers, indigenous and local communities, and their organizations and other stakeholders.
In the framework of “Community-based Management of Watersheds” component of “Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction” project Community Management Plans were developed for about 100 communities. Those plans include actions on involvement of local communities in the activities on agrobiodiversity management. Particularly, under the “Training on watershed management and support to scientific information exchange” task, demonstration and training on wheat and barley breeding in water drought conditions is implemented. In addition, demonstration and training on sustainable management practices of community pastures, restoration and improvement of community grasslands, sustainable management of irrigation systems are conducted. Development of community forest programs is envisaged in the “Action plan for mitigating actions to help address the problems associated with illegal logging”. The implementation of those programs will include establishment of associations of natural resources users for sustainable management of agriculture and agrobiodiversity.

Has your country put in place operational mechanisms for participation by a wide range of stakeholder groups to develop genuine partnerships contributing to the implementation of the programme of work on agricultural biodiversity?
No
No, but potential mechanisms being identified	X
No, but mechanisms are under development
Yes, mechanisms are in place

Has your country improved the policy environment, including benefit-sharing arrangements and incentive measures, to support local-level management of agricultural biodiversity?
No
No, but some measures and arrangements being identified	X
No, but measures and arrangements are under development
Yes, measures and arrangements are being implemented (please specify below)
Further comments on the measures taken to improve the policy environment.

Programme element 4 – Mainstreaming
Is your country mainstreaming or integrating national plans or strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity in sectoral and cross-sectoral plans and programmes?
No
No, but review is under way
No, but potential frameworks and mechanisms are being identified
Yes, some national plans or strategies mainstreamed and integrated into some sectoral plans and programmes (please provide details below)	X
Yes, some national plans or strategies mainstreamed into major sectoral plans and programmes (please provide details below)
Further comments on mainstreaming and integrating national plans or strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity in sectoral and cross-sectoral plans and programmes.
See Targets 4.1 and 8.2

Is your country supporting the institutional framework and policy and planning mechanisms for the mainstreaming of agricultural biodiversity in agricultural strategies and action plans, and its integration into wider strategies and action plans for biodiversity?
No	X
Yes, by supporting institutions in undertaking relevant assessments
Yes, by developing policy and planning guidelines
Yes, by developing training material
Yes, by supporting capacity-building at policy, technical and local levels
Yes, by promoting synergy in the implementation of agreed plans of action and between ongoing assessment and intergovernmental processes.
Further comments on support for institutional framework and policy and planning mechanisms.

In the case of centers of origin in your country, is your country promoting activities for the conservation, on farm, In-situ, and Ex-situ, of the variability of genetic resources for food and agriculture, including their wild relatives?
No	X
Yes (please provide details below)
Further comments on of the conservation of the variability of genetic resources for food and agriculture in their center of origin.
Conduction of the awareness raising trainings among farmers is envisaged under the “In-situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives through Strengthening of Information Management and Use of Modern Technologies” project. The trainings will be devoted to use of crop wild relatives as valuable raw material in selection practices.

65. 
    
    

Please provide information concerning the actions taken by your country to implement the Plan of Action for the International Initiative for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Pollinators.

66. 
    
    

Please elaborate below on the implementation of this programme of work 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.