Outlook on Climate Change Adaptation in the South Caucasus Mountains

Stakeholder consultations

All three countries are parties to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. Azerbaijan ratified this in 2000, Georgia in 2000, and Armenia in 2001 (UN 2015). The relevant national legislations also reflect the principles and provisions of the Convention. Therefore, stakeholder consultations are held on most of the government policy documents related to environmental protection and/ or climate change. However, mechanisms used for consultations are not yet sufficient. Even when policy documents reach the local and/or municipal levels local stakeholders, due to a variety of reasons, have

no capacity to examine the documents and/or to comprehensively contribute to consultations. During the planning of adaptation action at municipal or local levels performed by international organizations or non-governmental organizations, consultation processes are more reflective and sophisticated. However, as yet, none of the local action plans on adaptation have been approved or adopted by local authorities. This can be explained by the inability of non-state actors to justify and properly explain the financial implications for implementation, given the limited funding opportunities within local budgets. Consequently, such consultations are often ineffective.

Beshbarmag mountain, Azerbaijan

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