Outlook on Climate Change Adaptation in the South Caucasus Mountains

Introduction

The Caucasus Ecoregion stretches across the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, running between the Black and Caspian Seas and encompassing part or all of six nations. 4 This unique region is diverse in its culture, landscape and biodiversity. It is recognized as one of the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) top 35 “priority places”. With some of the richest and most endangered biodiversity on Earth, Conservation International classifies it as one of the world’s 34 Biodiversity Hotspots (Zazanashvili 2012). The South Caucasus represents the central part of this ecoregion, extending across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the economies of the three South Caucasus countries experienced dramatic economic declines. Previously, they were highly developed republics of the Soviet Union but after the collapse of the USSR, they found themselves with dilapidated industries and diminished administrative infrastructure. Now the region has grown in its importance, serving as a geopolitical bridge between East and West. It serves as a transit corridor for energy and benefits from the economic opportunities associated with that. All three countries have shown a significant macroeconomic recovery and in 2014, gross domestic product reached US$ 10.8 billion in Armenia, US$ 75.2 billion in Azerbaijan, and US$ 16.5 billion in Georgia (national statistics). Despite encouraging economic signs in the region, these are still fragile states that continue to

Lake Sevan, Armenia

undergo administrative reforms, suffer from the unsustainable use of natural resources, and lack economic diversification. The natural heritage of the South Caucasus faces serious threats from increasing human activities. Geopolitical tensions are also

hampering the regional cooperation necessary for environmental action and sustainable development. Exacerbating these threats are the growing impacts from climate change on the region.

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