Deforestation can be monitored online with new Global Forest Watch system…

Data from Global Forest Watch, an online forest monitoring system is now available on Esri’s ArcGIS cloud service. By using an Esri portal to access GFW satellite data and crowd-sourced information, people can add maps, datasets, and applications to their forest projects and analyze indicators of forest change.

A partnership of more than 40 organizations led by the World Resources Institute, GFW uses GIS maps and data to promote sustainable forest management and policy.

“Thanks to dramatic advances in technology, we can see what is happening in forests in near real-time,” said WRI’s Nigel Sizer. “GIS helps us take very powerful data and make sense of it. The analytical capabilities of GIS enrich our understanding of the earth’s forests.”

WRI launched the GFW website today. People can use the service to track deforestation throughout the world. “Monitoring forest health and designing sustainable solutions is a challenging task,” said Esri president Jack Dangermond. “The Global Forest Watch initiative demonstrates the capacity of open data, shared systems, and platform technologies to bring experts together to design solutions.”

To promote transparency in forests around the world, GFW combines near real-time satellite monitoring technology, forest management and company concession maps, protected-area maps, mobile technology, crowd-sourced data, and on-the-ground networks.

The GFW platform is intended for use by stakeholders including concerned citizens, government leaders, buyers, and suppliers of sustainable forest products who seek to better manage forests.

Update: Here's an article I wrote about what the Global Forest Watch website shows for Armenia (click here).

Georgia takes lead in assessing natural capital…

Georgia is one of the pilot countries that have volunteered to assess its natural capital with the ultimate objective of valuing the services provided by the country’s ecosystems. “Bringing the wealth of the natural world to the attention of decision-makers will pave the way to better informed choices and policies,” said Pavan Sukhdev, chair of the TEEB Advisory Board at the launch of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Scoping Study in Tbilisi.

The TEEB Scoping Study for Georgia--a joint effort of the Ministry of Environment, UN Environment Program, and WWF Caucasus--is an important step in valuing ecosystems and biodiversity. Identifying five core sectors of Georgian economy--energy, tourism, agriculture, mining, and forestry--the study highlights their dependence on natural capital and related services.

“Considering the rapid development of Georgia’s economy, the TEEB initiative is an effective instrument to help conserve ecosystems while promoting sustainable growth,” said environment minister Khatuna Gogaladze at the launch event on Oct. 1.

Georgia’s agriculture sector employs 53 percent of the workforce and is a main vehicle for rural development. The sector’s long-term sustainability, however, faces challenges associated with reduction of genetic diversity, land degradation due to salinization, and soil erosion. Crop yields are at risk if incentives are not provided to promote, for example, limited pesticide and chemical fertilizer use, soil conservation, and crop rotation.

This first scoping exercise recommends the development of TEEB for Agriculture, a sectoral examination that addresses policies to ensure food security, improve agricultural biodiversity, reduce the extent of land degradation, and maintain agriculture as a strong economic sector, according to a news release from UNEP.

“Nature plays a vital role in sustaining Georgia’s important economic sectors and policy priorities. For example, with its abundance of rivers and varying terrain, the hydropower sector has immense potential. The sector depends, however, on both quality and quantity of freshwater, guaranteed by forests upstream. This is another call for protected ecosystems that would benefit us all,” said Yolanda Kakabadse, president of WWF International.

There have been steps taken toward ecosystem service valuation in neighboring Armenia, with pilot programs initiated by UNEP and REC Caucasus. Some of the areas targeted for Georgia were the subject of my capstone research which focused on the link between natural capital and the tourism, beverage, and hydropower sectors of Armenia’s economy. The main concepts were outlined in my 2011 talk at TEDx Yerevan on Redefining Our Economic Systems.

Wangari Maathai remembered in Armenia…

This fir tree at the Armenia Tree Project nursery in Karin Village is dedicated to the memory of Wangari Maathai. Dr. Maathai was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for empowering rural women to plant millions of trees with the Green Belt Movement. Today is the second anniversary of her passing...her vision and perseverance continues to be a great source of inspiration worldwide.

Wangari Maathai was an inspiration for ATP in 2003-2004 when the team in the field designed the backyard nursery micro-enterprise program for impoverished rural families to grow tree seedlings in Aygut. She was one of the leading voices raising awareness about the strong link between poverty and deforestation.

ATP made job creation and rural empowerment a strong element of that program, which was selected for a National Energy Globe Award for Sustainability at the European Parliament in 2008.

ATP founder Carolyn Mugar and director Jeff Masarjian published an op ed, The Planting of Ideas, in the Boston Globe on the occasion of Dr. Maathai's visit to Boston in 2006. The three had a chance to meet at a reception hosted by Boston’s Urban Forest Coalition, before her speech at First Church in Cambridge.

ATP was also one of the very first international organizations to make a pledge to plant trees as part of the Billion Tree Campaign initiated by Dr. Maathai and the United Nations Environment Program in 2006.

What's all the fuss about? I hope you can take some time to watch Wangari Maathai's lecture from Concordia University (her remarks start at 18:30). She is truly a bold leader and advocate for social justice and sustainable development at the grassroots level.

Prince Charles discusses forests & the value of natural capital...

We learned recently that the Prince of Wales will pay a visit to Armenia next week. It will be a first-ever visit by a member of the British Monarchy. Prince Charles is an outspoken leader on the issue of global forest and biodiversity protection, so I decided to post his latest statement on the link between forests and sustainable development. It was recorded for the World Forest Summit hosted by The Economist.

Innovate to meet the challenges of conservation...

From the creation of the Boston Common in 1634 to the emergence of landscape-scale conservation initiatives in the 21st century, innovators have risen to address seemingly intractable land, water, and biodiversity conservation challenges.

It will require our best talent, technology, financial tools, and social innovation to tackle today's global conservation challenges, says Jim Levitt, director of the Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest and a fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

In this talk from TEDx BeaconStreet, "Innovate to Meet the Challenges of Conservation," Jim connects examples from successful conservation initiatives to emerging paradigms for public, private, and global cooperation that point the way for enduring conservation.

Government ignores concerns about Teghut mine…

Armenia Copper Programme, a division of the Vallex Group registered offshore in Liechtenstein, has begun operating a controversial mining project in the village of Teghut. Preliminary work began with the clearing of a portion of the pristine Teghut Forest to create a massive tailing dump for toxic waste left after mineral processing. The company is aggressively removing a mountain in order to reach underground deposits of copper and molybdenum.

Teghut photo by Sara Anjargolian, 2012

Armenia has made mining a key part of its economic development strategy [see page 34] despite environmental, economic, and social concerns. There are more than 400 active mines and 19 tailing dumps in Armenia, a small country the size of Maryland. Scientists have reported health risks in communities around mines scattered throughout Armenia. Human rights and environmental activists have also protested violations of property rights and the loss of rare and endangered ecosystems and biodiversity.

A coalition of 14 organizations including Armenia Tree Project and Armenian Environmental Network sent a letter to the President and Prime Minister, requesting an independent Environmental Impact Assessment for the mine.

“Cases brought in opposition to the operations in Armenian courts have been cursorily and improperly dismissed on strictly procedural bases without proper examination as to the substance of the claims. The Environmental Impact Assessment and public notice requirements are fatally flawed. The irreparable damage already done to Teghut, and the yet greater damage that will be done to the region if mining continues, demand immediate attention,” reads the letter.

The letter requests the EIA in order to comply with domestic and international laws, present an accurate analysis of the environmental impact, address the public health impacts of the Teghut mining operations, take alternative development options into consideration, and restore public faith and trust in government.

The coalition received a response from Edgar Pirumyan, Ministry of Nature Protection Chief of Staff, who said an EIA was completed within the scope of the law.

“We are disappointed with the perfunctory response through the Ministry of Nature Protection whose primary mission is the protection of Armenia’s environment,” notes ATP’s managing director Tom Garabedian. “In a recent visit to California, the Prime Minister expressed his commitment to Armenia’s environment. We hope that there is a willingness of the government to reexamine Teghut and mining in Armenia as a whole.”

The letter was co-signed by Acopian Center for the Environment, Armenian American Health Professionals Organization, Armenian American Medical Association, Armenian American Nurses Association, Armenian American Pharmacists Association, Armenian Bar Association, Armenian International Dental Association, Armenian Medical International Committee, Axis of Justice (Serj Tankian), Civic Forum, haikProject, and World Wide Fund for Nature.

Prospects for a green economy...

Orakarg (Agenda) business newspaper conducted this interview about prospects for a Green Economy in Armenia after my talk at TEDx Yerevan on Redefining our economic systems: Could a forest be worth more than a gold mine? The article was titled, Finding wealth in the soil: Green economy can replace mining.

Պրն Սոհիգյան, ի՞նչ է կանաչ տնտեսությունը:

Կանաչ տնտեսությունը հասկացություն է, որն առաջին անգամ օգտագործվել է ՄԱԿ-ի շրջակա միջավայրի պահպանության ծրագրում՝ նկարագրելու տնտեսության այնպիսի մոդել, որը կարող է նպաստել մարդկանց բարեկեցությանը և սոցիալական հավասարությանը՝ միաժամանակ նվազեցնելով ռիսկերը շրջակա միջավայրի համար: Այս թեման քննարկումների լայն ալիք է ստեղծել համաշխարհային հարթակներում, քանի որ այսօր մենք կանգնած ենք բնական ռեսուրսների ոչնչացման եզրին: Այս թեմային է նվիրված նաև «Կայուն զարգացում» խորագրով «Ռիո 20» համաժողով:

Կանաչ տնտեսության կարևորությունն այն է, որ գոյություն ունի կապ, ասենք, անտառների և ջրային ռեսուրսների միջև, ինչի պատճառով բիզնեսը կախված է շրջակա միջավայրից: Անտառները թույլ են տալիս պաշտպանվել ջրհեղեղներից և ապահովում են հողատարածքների վերականգնումը: Հետևաբար, շրջակա միջավայրի ռազմավարությունը կարող է պաշտպանել կարևոր ջրբաժանները անտառների պահպանության միջոցով: Այսինքն՝ բնության մեջ ամեն ինչ փոխկապակցված է, ինչը կարելի է օգտագործել տնտեսական նկատառումներով:

Հայաստանի համար որքանո՞վ է կարևոր կանաչ տնտեսությունը, եթե հաշվի առնենք, որ, օրինակ, տնտեսությունը ծայրահեղորեն կախված է հանքարդյունաբերությունից:

2011թ. սեպտեմբերին երևանյան TEDx-ին իմ ելույթում ես նշեցի, որ Հայաստանի տնտեսության համար ռազմավարական նշանակություն ունեցող առնվազն երեք ոլորտներ կախված են շրջակա միջավայրից: Դա ըմպելիքների արտադրության, տուրիզմի և հիդրոէներգետիկայի ոլորտներն են, որոնցից յուրաքանչյուրը Հայաստանի տնտեսության կարևոր մասն է:

The rest of the interview is available here. Stay tuned for a follow up article on this topic in English in the coming weeks.

Malua BioBank makes forest conservation a commercially competitive land use…

The Malua BioBank is a unique public-private partnership for investing in forest conservation. “Public and philanthropic funding for conservation has not kept pace with the rate of biodiversity loss. Attaching value to conservation will harness private sector finance to help fill this funding gap,” according MaluaBank.com.

The site is the 34,000 ha Malua Forest Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia. Sitting adjacent to one of the region’s last pristine lowland tropical rainforests, the Malua BioBank provides a buffer between virgin rainforest and oil palm plantations. The area is home to one of the world’s highest concentrations of orangutans, as well as clouded leopards and pygmy elephants.

The Sabah government has licensed conservation rights for 50 years to the Malua BioBank and a private investor has committed up to $10 million for the rehabilitation of the Malua Forest Reserve. The investor is the Eco Products Fund, a private equity investment vehicle jointly managed by New Forests and Equator Environmental.

You can purchase Biodiversity Conservation Certificates
to support rainforest conservation at ProtectMalua.com

The Malua BioBank sells Biodiversity Conservation Certificates, with each certificate representing 100 square meters of forest restoration and protection. Revenues generated from the sale of BCC’s will be used to recover costs incurred and to endow a trust fund set up to manage the Malua BioBank. Any profit will be shared between the forest management license holder (a foundation established by the government to improve the livelihoods of local citizens) and the investor.

The government has committed to halting logging in the Malua Forest Reserve for the next 50 years. This agreement commits the government to implementing a management plan under the monitoring of the Malua Trust, which will be funded by revenues from BCC sales.

“The ultimate aim of the Malua BioBank is to shift land use towards rainforest restoration and preservation, catalyzing a new economy of conservation. The sale of certificates will make rainforest rehabilitation and conservation a commercially competitive land use,” according to MaluaBank.com.

Biodiversity in Turkey at risk yet largely ignored…

A scientific article in Biological Conservation outlines

“Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in crisis”

There’s been a recent burst of attention to threats to biodiversity in Turkey, particularly after the publication in Biological Conservation of an article by 13 scientists. The 18-page report on “Turkey’s globally important biodiversity in crisis” was even covered by the New York Times in a story that profiled the lead author, a conservation biologist at the University of Utah. In addition to that role, Cagan Sekercioglu is the founder of KuzeyDoga, and organization that promotes biodiversity research and conservation in Eastern Turkey.

TreeHugger picked up the story with an article by Jennifer Hattam titled, “Arbitrary, development-obsessed environmental policy-making threatening Turkey's ecosystems.” Here’s an excerpt:

"As ecologists and conservation biologists working in Turkey, we have witnessed a similar level of increasing arbitrariness in environmental policy, where economic development has trumped all other concerns," wrote Sekercioglu, the lead author of a comprehensive report that painted a grim picture of Turkey's biodiversity in crisis.

Legislative or legal developments over just the past two years have created a host of obstacles to ecosystem protection. According to Sekercioglu, these include allowing mining in wildlife refuges, excluding riparian and coastal areas from wetland conservation zoning, constructing dams and other energy projects in protected areas, redefining terms such as "common good" and "sustainable use," and eliminating independent conservation committees.

This is especially interesting since neighboring Armenia faces similar development and governance challenges in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. Many of the regions under study were also part of Western Armenia prior to the genocide. Given the proximity to present day Armenia, there are undoubtedly transboundary conservation issues between the two countries that are worthy of attention. In short, the issues under discussion are directly related to Armenia's natural heritage.

In addition to the Times coverage, TreeHugger reviews details of the article from Biological Conservation here.

Pavan Sukhdev discusses the economic invisibility of nature at TED Global...

In this talk from TEDGlobal, Pavan Sukhdev explains the economic invisibility of nature and why we need to correct this market failure. He outlines the value of natural capital and explains why it is characterized as an externality because it is not priced by markets. This becomes a challenge because it often leads to the overexploitation and subsequent scarcity of resources that may be irreplaceable. Pavan points out that we are losing natural capital at an extraordinary rate, with implications that may be more severe than the global financial crisis.

Pavan is the CEO of GIST Advisory, an environmental consulting firm which helps governments and corporations manage their impacts on natural capital. He founded the Global Markets Centre in Mumbai and took a sabbatical from Deutsche Bank to lead UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative and the G8+5 commissioned project on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). Pavan was a speaker at the World Economic Forum in 2010 and 2011 and he serves on the boards of Conservation International and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

The research done by The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity initiative was cited in my talk on Redefining Our Economic Systems at TEDx Yerevan. Pavan's talk is well worth watching.

New conservation trust fund creates sustainable source of financing for protected areas in biodiversity hotspot…

Peter Musurlian co-wrote, narrated, and edited this 11-minute film about the work of the Caucasus Nature Fund in Georgia and Armenia. CNF is a conservation trust fund that is building capacity to support the ongoing maintenance and operation of nature reserves in the South Caucasus.



This work is particularly important since the region is one of the planet’s 34 most endangered hotspots for biodiversity. The organization has already invested in the Khosrov Reserve and four other national parks in Armenia and Georgia. According to the director, David Morrison, the goal is to support the operation of 15 parks by 2015.

“Saving the Wild” includes rare film footage of several of the endangered species under protection in these areas including bezoar goat, mouflon, and Caucasian leopard. The program has received major support from the German Development Bank (KfW) and other international organizations to create a sustainable source of financing.

Redefining our economic systems @TEDx Yerevan…

Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any better, coverage of my talk at TEDx Yerevan, "Redefining Our Economic Systems: Could a Forest Be Worth More Than a Gold Mine?" hit National Geographic Online. The premise was that forests are a form of green infrastructure that have a range of values worth more than firewood or building material and that these could be worth more than a gold mine. The issue is significant because the region is one of the planet’s most endangered “hotspots for biodiversity” and the country’s economy is dependent on mining.

In addition, resources like forests and water are becoming scarce as a result of unsustainable management and climate change while several strategic industries are heavily reliant on the “natural capital” provided by forests. National Geographic’s coverage by Kara Marston of the event at the Tumo Center for Creative Technologies is available here. The video of the talk was posted by TEDx here:



The talk is based on my master's thesis on “How Payments for Environmental Services Can Deliver Co-Benefits for Business and Sustainable Development: A Conservation Finance Strategy to Protect Armenia’s Natural Heritage,” and I cited data from UNEP's program on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. The research was presented earlier this year at the 17th International Sustainable Development Research Conference hosted by the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development.

The concepts of forest valuation and understanding our dependence on ecosystem services are becoming more mainstream, especially among large corporations and in conversations about creating a Green Economy. The following sites provide further information: Bank of Natural Capital, Corporate Ecosystem Services Review, Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation. Stay tuned...

A Green appeal for commencement...

Dear Friends,

Most of you probably know I am wrapping up my master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management this week – commencement is Thursday! Many of you have provided support and encouragement for which I am grateful.

Overall it was a wonderfully enriching experience – highlights that come to mind are a report for the Massachusetts Commission on Financing Forest Conservation, being a part of World Forestry Congress XIII in Buenos Aires, publication in Germany of a study on renewable energy, and presenting my research on Payments for Environmental Services at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference at the Earth Institute.

During this time, I’ve been inspired by the work of colleagues at the Armenia Tree Project and more importantly by the individuals and institutions that have invested in our work. ATP has been planting trees since 1994 and environmental education has been a core program since I joined the organization in 2004.

Armenia Tree Project Slideshow

View more presentations from jsohigian

Given the urgency of the environmental crisis, I drafted this note to encourage your direct participation. I hope each of you reading this will plant at least ONE TREE in Armenia in honor of this important work. I have set a goal to raise $2,500 on the occasion of my graduation so please use this link to make a small online gift of $20 or more:

http://www.armeniatree.org/donate_online.htm

Many employers will match your charitable donation so that would double your gift. I have told my colleagues at ATP that we will raise these gifts between Commencement and Memorial Day so I hope you will join this effort TODAY.

Armenia is home to dozens of rare and endangered species which are of global conservation significance including the Caucasian Leopard. So please take this small step to create a green future and help me achieve this new milestone. Thank you for your commitment to this cause!

Eco regards,

Jason A. Sohigian

Here’s an appeal update: To date, 29 of you donated a total of $1,515 in support of ATP’s mission to plant trees! A big THANK YOU to everyone that contributed – you’ll get a formal acknowledgment from Armenia Tree Project. Others may continue to sponsor trees via the ATP website.

The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity discussed at London School of Economics…

In this video from the London School of Economics, Pavan Sukhdev provides an engaging discussion on the findings of The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study. The TEEB initiative was launched by the G8+5 in 2007 to create an economic, scientific, and policy analysis for ecosystems and biodiversity that would be comparable to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change.

In addition to his role as TEEB study leader, Pavan Sukhdev is head of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Green Economy Initiative. Prior to his work for TEEB and UNEP, he was head of Deutsche Bank’s Global Markets Business in India and a founding member of the Green Indian States Trust. His March 21 talk at LSE was titled, “Ending the Economic Invisibility of Nature.”

How Payments for Environmental Services can deliver co-benefits for business & sustainable development…

This site was created to review issues related to my career and graduate coursework, so this is a good time for a status update. In December, I completed a capstone on Payments for Environmental Services, which was the last requirement for my master’s from the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program at Harvard.

The abstract for my capstone, “How Payments for Environmental Services Can Deliver Co-Benefits for Business and Sustainable Development: A Conservation Finance Strategy to Protect Armenia’s Natural Heritage,” was recently accepted for the 17th International Sustainable Development Research Conference. The conference is hosted by the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development.

The peer review committee invited me to present the research in the session on “Redefining Economic Systems for Sustainable Development.” The following is a condensed version of the research abstract:

“The Caucasus region has been identified by international conservation organizations as a ‘global hotspot’ for biodiversity. Among the nations of the South Caucasus, the environment of the Republic of Armenia faces widespread degradation driven by factors including unsustainable management, lack of alternative energy supplies, and a shortage of sustainable financing for conservation. In order to address similar challenges, some countries have implemented Payment for Environmental Services (PES) programs to compensate upstream landowners or land managers for environmental conservation that benefits downstream users. This research presented three examples of PES programs. The programs in Costa Rica and in upstate New York demonstrated that PES can deliver significant levels of conservation finance and can achieve favorable sustainable development results. The ongoing example in the Danube Basin shows that PES can be implemented as a pilot program to demonstrate the applicability of the concept and transfer lessons learned to neighboring regions.”

“Based on these results, this paper argues that PES may be an effective conservation finance strategy to apply in the Republic of Armenia. This is especially compelling since there are several sectors that have been identified as strategically important for the country’s economic development that rely heavily on environmental services as a core part of their business. These include hydropower, the beverage industry, and the tourist industry. This paper has shown that these sectors have a direct interest in environmental conservation and that investing in natural capital would ensure their long-term viability and profitability. In addition to addressing business risk in these strategic industries in a proactive manner that lowers costs, a PES program can deliver sustainable development co-benefits and enhance a Corporate Social Responsibility program.”

This research was motivated by the work of a number of organizations including the following, each of which provided support or resources cited in this study:

• Armenia Tree Project
• Caucasus Nature Fund
• Conservation Finance Forum
• The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity
• The Katoomba Group
• World Resources Institute
• WWF Caucasus Programme

One of the next steps is to advance the business case for a PES program using WRI’s Corporate Ecosystem Services Review. This tool enables corporate managers to develop proactive strategies to manage business risks and opportunities arising from environmental impacts and dependence on environmental services. I hope readers will stay tuned as this research advances to the next stage toward implementation.

PFA issues new report on state of Armenia’s environment…

Policy Forum Armenia has issued its first annual report on The State of Armenia’s Environment. According to its website, PFA has a “hybrid mission,” operating as a think tank and an advocacy group. With an international network of members, PFA’s stated objective is to offer professional analysis with innovative and practical recommendations for public policy design.

The 32-page study provides an overview of environmental challenges facing Armenia in areas including water resources, air pollution, the adequacy of nature reserves, deforestation, and energy. The report argues that improving environmental governance requires increased transparency and public participation in policy decisions as well as the enforcement of existing environmental laws.

A major section of the report is a case study of the open pit copper mine in northern Armenia, where the Teghut Forest has been cleared to create a tailing dump. “[Teghut] is an example of one facility where both urgent policy changes and adequate enforcement of existing policies are needed,” notes PFA.

The authors state that Armenia is a country of rich biodiversity with more than 3,500 plant species and 17,500 invertebrate and vertebrate species including the endangered Caucasian Leopard. However, mismanagement and the rapid growth of some sectors of the economy during the last decade created serious environmental challenges. The report concludes that “environmental protection should constitute a key element of Armenia’s developmental strategy.”

“Despite the fact that the prevailing developmental policy thinking is heavily skewed toward extractive industries, decisions about whether or not to undertake new large-scale projects with potentially sizable environmental impact in Armenia must be considered with the country’s long-term benefits and objectives in mind,” notes the PFA study.

It is especially interesting that PFA’s second “state of the nation” report has addressed environmental issues, particularly since this integral aspect of sustainable development has not been widely considered in Armenia. For example, a 2006 conference hosted by the Armenian International Policy Research Group titled, Armenia: Challenges of Sustainable Development, did not give environmental issues any consideration on the agenda.

The focus of sustainable development in Armenia has been on economic and social issues, while attention to environmental conservation has not been widely understood as a current strategic priority. Hopefully this annual report will contribute to a broader understanding of sustainable development and raise the level of dialogue to a new level.

Will TEEB end the economy vs. environment debate?

How valuable are forests and wetlands? Economics largely takes nature, biodiversity, and environmental services for granted and does not put a value on them. These services include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination, and flood control. As a result, governments, businesses, and people tend to overexploit the resources on which our livelihoods and prosperity depend.

It is against this background that The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) project was set up in 2007 to provide an assessment of the economic aspects of these issues. A groundbreaking new book, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations, outlines all of the scientific and economic principles of measuring and valuing environmental services and biodiversity.

The effort furthers the work of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment which issued a major scientific review in 2005 of the status and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, as well as recommendations for action to manage them more sustainably. The head of the TEEB project is Pavan Sukhdev, a Deutsche Bank economist who also leads UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative.

The book was launched at the COP10 Nagoya Biodiversity Summit in Japan and is recommended for a detailed review of the latest research in environmental economics and the valuation of natural resources. The TEEB project has also launched a website, Bank of Natural Capital, to make its findings more accessible to the public.

The hope is that the thorough scientific and economic analysis behind the TEEB studies will put and end to the popular debate about the economy versus the environment, and correct the market failures that lead to the unsustainable use of natural capital.

New study looks at aggregation & mitigation to finance forest conservation…

The Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest has released a new research publication, Financing Forest Conservation Across the Commonwealth: Using Aggregation and Mitigation to Conserve the Forests of Massachusetts. I worked on the study over the past year with James Levitt and several others. I met Jim at Harvard after his guest lecture in the course taught by Mark Leighton on Conservation Biology and Sustainable Use of Forested Landscapes. He has been a great mentor and I owe him a great deal of thanks for his introduction to the field of Conservation Finance.

Last year Jim invited me to work on this case study on forest aggregation in Massachusetts, which is a pioneering effort led by a group of individuals and organizations to increase the pace of land conservation in a region threatened by parcelization and development. The goal of this effort is consistent with the new Harvard Forest Wildlands and Woodlands Vision for the New England Landscape.

In order to complete the research I had to turn down a couple of TA offers, took some time off from my work at Armenia Tree Project to attend meetings at the Harvard Forest, and to attend meetings of the Financing Forest Conservation Board of Advisors at the State House, at Appalachian Mountain Club, and at the New England Forestry Foundation.

The forest aggregation program highlighted in this report is an inspiring effort to achieve landscape-scale conservation that takes natural capital, social capital, and financial capital into account. It was even highlighted by the New York Times as a conservation finance innovation. I would like to extend my thanks to Jim and the many leaders of this effort that are highlighted in the report and that supported this research, including the Harvard Forest and the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

Russian news agency reports on environmental crisis in Armenia…

During a two-day visit to Armenia by President Dmitry Medvedev, RIA Novosti published an article by journalist Diana Markosian about the country’s forest and water resources, and how these may be impacted by climate change. She points out that logging is leading to desertification, which will be exacerbated by increasing temperatures.

(Photo in Lori region by Jason Sohigian)

The first national report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change warned, for example, that a two-degree Celsius increase over the 21st century will decrease the total annual flow of water in Armenia by 15 to 20 percent.

In a study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, The Socio-Economic Impact of Climate Change in Armenia, the United Nations Development Program warns that “Armenia’s future economic development will depend on the decisions that the current generation makes about investments in adaptation [to climate change].”

Armenia Tree Project has been planting trees to mitigate the impacts of climate change, but the effort may not be enough to solve the problem. With only eight percent forest cover, Armenia is still exporting wood according to the National Statistical Service. In the last 16 years, ATP has planted 3,500,000 trees around the country.

Associate Director Areg Maghakian tells RIA Novosti that reforestation is “an issue of national security” and that the government must take the initiative in order to address it adequately.

I was also interviewed for the story: “Armenia is focused on economic and social development, but the third aspect of sustainable development is environmental impacts. Business and economic development have been identified as a priority. That’s obviously very important, but business and life itself are supported by natural ecosystem services like forests, water, soil, and clean air, which can’t be easily replaced when they are degraded or depleted.”

Climate mitigation program addresses forest restoration in the South Caucasus…

The Caucasus branch of the World Wildlife Fund organized a media tour to the afforestation sites in Northern Armenia established by Armenia Tree Project and the forestry department of the Ministry of Agriculture. In December, ATP announced its partnership with WWF and Germany's KfW Development Bank on a large-scale afforestation program in the Lori region.

The work was part of the WWF-KfW program, Mitigating the Impacts of Climate Change through Forest Protection, Management and Restoration in the Southern Caucasus. It was financed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through KfW as part of Germany's Climate Initiative.

“Climate change is happening globally and Armenia is not an exception. Weather extremes have serous implications for forests. We are proud to collaborate with KfW and WWF to create a better future for the environment and people,” stated ATP Yerevan Director Mher Sadoyan. “We hope we can fight the adverse impacts of climate change in those territories of Armenia which are most affected, and reforestation is one way to achieve this goal.”

This environmental program created hundreds of jobs for rural residents who often migrate to earn a living abroad. As part of the goal to address the socio-economic status of the communities in the project area, ATP provided seasonal tree planting jobs for more than 300 people from the region. The television coverage posted above was made available by Ankyun Plus 3 TV after the media tour.