Central Asia

Eastern Europe

South Eastern Europe

Southern Caucasus

The Southern Caucasus, composed of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, has long been a focal point for change and a bridge between Asia and Europe. The region is in the midst of a tumultuous transition and has seen multiple inter-state and ethnic conflicts in its recent past, some of them escalating to full-scale warfare. In this context, the lack of regional cooperation threatens to exacerbate environmental issues, themselves a source of potential conflict in the region. Among the environmental concerns identified by ENVSEC in the Southern Caucasus are the management of shared natural resources (not least in the Kura-Araks river basin which covers a large part of the region), pollution from ageing industries and irrigation networks, and uncontrolled growth of capital cities. On the positive side there are quite a few opportunities to foster cooperation between the countries in the environmental field.

The ENVSEC assessment of environment and security linkages in the Southern Caucasus was completed and presented at the Ministerial meeting of EECCA countries in Tbilisi on October 22, 2004. ENVSEC has identified the frozen conflict zones in South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Abkhazia as areas where more detailed assessment can help facilitate a broader understanding of current environmental challenges.. ENVSEC has supported monitoring and management of the Kura-Araks river basin, strategic environmental assessments, the establishment of public environmental information centres (“Aarhus centres”), and media training. In the view of reducing tensions in mountainous areas and promoting cooperation for protection and sustainable management, ENVSEC also supports transboundary cooperation on the protection of the Caucasus mountains.

Southern Caucasus Publications

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Southern Caucasus ENVSEC Projects

  Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus - On-going

  Regional Climate Change Impacts Study for the South Caucasus Region - On-going

  Fire Affected Forest Rehabilitation Project - Under Development

  Civil Action for Security and Environment (CASE) - On-going

  Support to Public Environmental Information Centres (“Aarhus centers”) - On-going

  Development of legal and institutional frameworks for the cooperation in the Kura-Aras river basin - On-going

  Environment and Security in the South Caucasus Triangle - Completed

  Development of an agreement on the management of transboundary watercourses shared by Georgia and Azerbaijan - On-going

  Solid Waste Assessment in South Ossetian Conflict Area of Georgia - Completed

  Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – Promotion and Capacity Development in Azerbaijan - On-going

  GEO Cities - On-going

  Special Issue of the “Caucasus Environmental Magazine” - Completed

  South Caucasus Cooperative River Monitoring - Completed [See also project website]

  Training in investigative journalism with respect to Environment and Security issues and linkages - Completed

  OSCE-led Environmental Assessment Mission to fire-affected territories in the Nagorno -Karabakh Region - Completed

  Joint Assessment of Environmental Impacts of the August 2008 Conflict in Georgia - Completed

  Assessment and neutralization of hazardous chemicals in abandoned military sites in Armenia - Completed

  Strengthening Implementation of the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context in Armenia - Completed

  Organization of the National Workshop on Obligations and Rights under the Protocol on Pollutants Release and Transfer Register to Aarhus Convention i - Completed

  Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – Promotion and Capacity Development in Armenia and Georgia - Completed

  Transboundary river management in Kura-Aras river basin through public involvement in water governance; and regional study on groundwater - Completed

  Assessment of the soil erosion in the fire affected areas of the Borjomi region - Completed

  ENVSEC Phase 1 assessment of Environment and Security risks and opportunities in the South Caucasus - Completed [See also project website]

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Southern Caucasus Maps & Images

ENVSEC Maps

Population density, 2002 (also in russian)		Trends in birth and death rates, 1990-2002 (also in russian)		Total population growth rates, 1989-2002 (also in russian)		Transport and communication links, 2004 (also in russian)
Economic output, 1990-2003 (also in russian)		Population migration and displacement, 1988-2004 (also in russian)		Ethno-linguistic distribution, 2004 (also in russian)		Seismic risk: recorded earthquakes (also in russian)
Environment and security priority areas (also in russian)		National environment and security issues in Armenia (also in russian)		National environment and security issues in Azerbaijan (also in russian)		National environment and security issues in Georgia (also in russian)

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Southern Caucasus Resources

UN Agencies

UNDP in Armenia - Energy and Environment
UNDP in Azerbadjan - Energy and Environment
UNDP in Georgia

United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG)

International and National Cooperation Agencies & NGOs

OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)
  OSCE Office in Baku
  OSCE Mission to Georgia
  OSCE Office in Yerevan
  Personal Representative of the Chairman-in-Office on the Conflict Dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference

NGOs

Caucasus Environmental NGO Network

News

Armenia and the Environment: The Challenges of Ecological Integrity in a Developing Republic. Special report / supplement to Armenia Now, June 2004. [output from ENVSEC media training in Yerevan in May 2004]

EU halts aid to Armenia over quake-zone nuclear plant. Brown, Paul. The Guardian, June 2, 2004.

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Southern Caucasus Focal Points

 Armenia

Nouneh  ZASTOUKHOVA
First Secretary, International Organizations Department
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Government House 2, Republic Square
375010 Yerevan
Tel: +37410 54 40 41/232
Fax: +37 410 54 3925
E-mail: n.zastoukhova@mfa.am

Victor MARTIROSYAN
Director, Natural Resources Management and Poverty Reduction Project
Ministry of Nature Protection
Government House 3, Republic Square
357010 Yerevan
Tel: +37 410 65 16 31
Fax: +37 410 65 00 89
E-mail: nrmprp@web.am

 Azerbaijan

Imran  ABDULOV
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources
Department of Environmental Policy and Environment Protection
B. Aghayev Str 100-A
370073 Baku
Tel: +99412 983907
Fax: +99412 4925907
E-mail: imranabdulov@baku.az

Husniyya MAMMADOVA
First Secretary
Department of Economic Cooperation and Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Shikhali Gurbanov 4
AZ1009 Baku
Tel: + 99 412 4926 825
Fax: + 99 412 4929 692
E-mail: husniyya_mammadova@yahoo.com

 Georgia

Nino GOKHELASHVILI
Head International Relations Division
Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources
Gulua St. 6
0114 Tbilisi
Tel: (+995 32) 727 223; (+995 77) 760 593
Fax: (+995 32) 727 223
E-mail: ninagok@yahoo.com

Ilia  IMNADZE
Second Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of International Organizations
4 Chitadze Str.
0118 Tbilisi
Tel: + 995 32284620
Fax: +995 33284678
E-mail: iimnadze@mfa.gov.ge

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