Outlook on Climate Change Adaptation in the South Caucasus Mountains

Lake Göygöl, Azerbaijan

The countries of the South Caucasus are all party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as Non-Annex I countries. 5 The Convention serves as an important platform for international action on climate change mitigation and adaptation. All three countries are mostly dependent upon donor support for their climate actions, with majority of activities focused on climate mitigation measures, such as lowering greenhouse gas emissions, developing renewable energy sources, and increasing energy efficiency. The impacts of climate change, however, continue to grow. Rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are leading to more frequent and intense weather events clearly highlighting the need for immediate adaptation measures in addition to mitigation.

Against this background, this sub-regional outlook has been prepared to review and synthesize the existing climate change adaptation responses in the South Caucasus mountain region. This outlook was undertaken in the context of the South Caucasus component of the United Nations Environment Programme´s inter- regional project “Climate Change Action in Developing Countries with Fragile Mountainous Ecosystems from a Sub-regional Perspective.”

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