Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for the Republic of Armenia.

The Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) is a sectoral national strategy document. The timeframe of the document is 2000-2004. Its main objective is to ensure the conservation, sustainable use and regeneration of the landscape and biological diversity of the Republic of Armenia, for sustainable human development.
The BSAP mainly deals with sustainable development and environmental protection. In the area of agriculture and environment, among other measures, it plans to develop and implement pilot projects on novel agricultural methods and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity. Additionally, it aims to develop a grants scheme to provide farmers access to supplementary food for livestock to reduce pressure on natural pasture. For instance, developing guidelines for farmers on sustainable limits of grazing (including livestock density and duration of pasture use) in relation to different landscape types is contemplated. The document promotes sustainable use of forest and fisheries resources of the country as well as sustainable use by local communities. In this regard, it plans to conserve, regenerate and sustainably use forest resources, with a resulting increase in healthy forested areas of 3000 ha by 2004. It also aims to conduct assessments of opportunities for local traditional use, and identify potential mechanisms to apply such approaches.
In terms of rural poverty reduction, it aims to support and contribute to sustainable development, including the further integration of biological resource management into the development of rural communities, to help to reduce the levels of poverty by 30% by 2004. It targets to develop a series of pilot projects to demonstrate traditional approaches to biodiversity use. Further, as one of its actions, it aims to develop and invest in novel methods of income-generation in the vicinity of protected areas.
The document notes that it will be necessary to conduct research to identify inter-relationships between economic conditions (including rural population poverty and privatisation) and changes in biodiversity. Moreover, it will be required to support and extend the capacity to use science as a vital tool in guiding conservation management (including both research and monitoring), through increased investment of 15% in both relevant scientific programmes and professional training by 2004. In terms of wild and traditional species and their use, the BSAP, among others, provides for: (1) developing and implementing an action plan for the protection of wild relatives of crop plants, (2) building measures for the control of invasive species into institutional plans and species conservation action plans, (3) strengthening the existing capacities for the use of new technologies in regeneration of endemic and threatened species, (4) re-establishing breeding centres for agricultural livestock, to maintain important native breeds of animals, (5) develop mechanisms, including grants schemes, to encourage cultivation of traditional crop varieties.
For its implementation, the document envisages the establishment of a Steering Committee for which responsibilities will be outlined and membership and representation of the Committee will be determined. Annual reports will be prepared and submitted to the Steering Committee. The document notes that its implementation will involve participation of numerous local, national and international organizations and agencies. However, the major responsible agency implementing the BSAP is the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia.