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PRESS RELEASE
United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:hovhannes.sa [email protected]>
Web site: http://www.undp.am
The draft Second National Communication of Armenia to the UNFCCC was
discussed with national stakeholders
Yerevan, 5 February 2010 - Today the RoA Ministry of Nature Protection
and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia presented Armenia's
draft Second National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) to national stakeholders. The Communication
was developed by the RoA Ministry of Nature Protection with support of
UNDP in the framework of "Enabling activities for the preparation of
Armenia's Second National Communication to the UNFCCC" UNDP/GEF
project. The document was prepared with the goal to assist Armenia in
meeting her commitments under the UNFCCC.
Parties to the Convention on Climate Change, taking into account their
"common, but differentiated" responsibilities and their specific
national and regional development priorities, committed to
periodically elaborate national communications and submit them to the
Conference of Parties. Armenia prepared her First Communication and
submitted it to the Conference of Parties in 1998.
Welcome speeches at the event were delivered by Mr. Aram Harutyunyan,
the RoA Minister of Nature Protection, Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UN
Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, and
Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Addressing the participants of the discussion, the Minister noted that
the Government of Armenia recognized the serious threat of climate
change and envisages certain measures in national strategic programs
and policy documents, such as "Sustainable Development Program" (2008)
and "Second National Environmental Action Program" (2008) to tackle
the matter. Mr. Harutyunyan underlined that due to multi-sectoral
impact of climate change in Armenia, the active participation of
national stakeholders in today's discussion of the results of Second
National Communication on Climate Change is of high importance.
In her welcome speech Ms. Dafina Gercheva said, "Global climate change
is one of the serious contemporary challenges faced by the mankind. It
is not anymore an environmental, but also a development issue that can
potentially affect all aspects of human activity. In recent years, it
has been considered as one of the biggest challenges to development,
and can further seriously threaten international peace and security."
She further noted that adverse impacts of climate change are felt
globally, however, developing countries, including Armenia, which is a
landlocked country with vulnerable mountainous ecosystems, are the
most vulnerable, since they have limited financial, technological and
human resources to address the negative impacts of climate change.
The main policy recommendations of the Communication are in line with
the current developments under Convention and Copenhagen conference
outcomes. The Communication has been developed based on national data
provided by the RoA Ministries and the RoA National Statistical
Service. Analytical assessments were conducted by more than 40
national experts, as well as by the "Scientific Research Institute of
Energy" CJSC and "Armenian State Hydro-meteorological and Monitoring
Service" state non-commercial organization.
In the framework of the Second National Communication Preparation
Project, the database for national inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG)
was improved and expanded; emission trends of 1990-2006 were
identified and GHG emission reduction potential in various sectors of
economy was assessed. According to assessments done within the Second
National Communication on Climate Change, total GHG emissions amounted
to 6,600 ton of CO2 equivalent in Armenia in 2000 with CO2 as the main
GHG (71%) and with "Energy" and "Land use, land-use change and
forestry" as main sources (53% and 23% respectively). "Land use,
land-use change and forestry" sector, a GHG removal in 1990, turned
into a GHG source. This was caused by increase in forest cuts and
decrease in the quality of arable lands and meadows that resulted in
emission of the accumulated carbon into atmosphere.
GHG emissions in Armenia were projected till 2020 and relevant
estimates were obtained. According to these estimates, total GHG
emissions are projected to reach 23,000 ton of CO2 equivalent by 2020
in "business-as-usual" scenario and 15,000 ton - in case of
implementation of mitigation measures. In both cases, "Energy" sector
is the main source of emissions.
Applying models of inter-governmental Panel for Climate Change,
experts of Armenian State Hydro-meteorological Service projected
trends for temperature and precipitation in Armenia till 2030, 2070
and 2100. According to these projections, temperatures may increase by
5.70C and precipitations fall by 27%, and hydro-meteorological
extremes may become more frequent and severe, if no effort is
undertaken to reduce GHG emissions globally.
According to these climate change scenarios, vulnerability of
Armenia's ecosystems and climate-dependent economy sectors was
assessed. As a result ofthese changes, extremely dangerous impacts are
expected in the country that would affect agriculture (food security),
water resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, human health,
settlements and infrastructures. E.g., shift of vertical climatic
zoning upwards will cause change in agro-climatic conditions,
reduction in the area and productivity of sub-alpine and alpine
pastures, due to decrease in precipitations and intensification of
evaporation, and demand for irrigation water will increase.
The Second National Communication identifies adaptation needs, which
should be addressed to ensure sustainable socio-economic development
of the country, and recommends measures for each sector. E.g., it is
necessary to introduce new and water saving technologies along with
expansion and renovation of the existing irrigation networks, to
introduce dry- and drought-resistant species, to account for climate
change factor in land use and infrastructure planning, to introduce an
insurance system, to improve efficiency of early warning and quick
response to weather extremes.
Armenia, as a non-Annex I Party to the Convention on Climate Change,
does not have quantified commitments for reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions. However, in order to assist the achievement of the ultimate
goal of the Convention, Armenia implements and will continue
implementing measures to reduce GHG emissions from the atmosphere.
The draft of the document is available on
www.nature-ic.am<http://www.nature-ic.am> web-site.
United Nations Development Programme / Armenia
14 Petros Adamyan St., Yerevan 0010
Contact: Mr. Hovhannes Sarajyan, Communications Associate
Tel: +37410 566 073
E-mail: [email protected]<mailto:hovhannes.sa [email protected]>
Web site: http://www.undp.am
The draft Second National Communication of Armenia to the UNFCCC was
discussed with national stakeholders
Yerevan, 5 February 2010 - Today the RoA Ministry of Nature Protection
and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia presented Armenia's
draft Second National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) to national stakeholders. The Communication
was developed by the RoA Ministry of Nature Protection with support of
UNDP in the framework of "Enabling activities for the preparation of
Armenia's Second National Communication to the UNFCCC" UNDP/GEF
project. The document was prepared with the goal to assist Armenia in
meeting her commitments under the UNFCCC.
Parties to the Convention on Climate Change, taking into account their
"common, but differentiated" responsibilities and their specific
national and regional development priorities, committed to
periodically elaborate national communications and submit them to the
Conference of Parties. Armenia prepared her First Communication and
submitted it to the Conference of Parties in 1998.
Welcome speeches at the event were delivered by Mr. Aram Harutyunyan,
the RoA Minister of Nature Protection, Ms. Dafina Gercheva, UN
Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia, and
Ambassador Sergey Kapinos, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.
Addressing the participants of the discussion, the Minister noted that
the Government of Armenia recognized the serious threat of climate
change and envisages certain measures in national strategic programs
and policy documents, such as "Sustainable Development Program" (2008)
and "Second National Environmental Action Program" (2008) to tackle
the matter. Mr. Harutyunyan underlined that due to multi-sectoral
impact of climate change in Armenia, the active participation of
national stakeholders in today's discussion of the results of Second
National Communication on Climate Change is of high importance.
In her welcome speech Ms. Dafina Gercheva said, "Global climate change
is one of the serious contemporary challenges faced by the mankind. It
is not anymore an environmental, but also a development issue that can
potentially affect all aspects of human activity. In recent years, it
has been considered as one of the biggest challenges to development,
and can further seriously threaten international peace and security."
She further noted that adverse impacts of climate change are felt
globally, however, developing countries, including Armenia, which is a
landlocked country with vulnerable mountainous ecosystems, are the
most vulnerable, since they have limited financial, technological and
human resources to address the negative impacts of climate change.
The main policy recommendations of the Communication are in line with
the current developments under Convention and Copenhagen conference
outcomes. The Communication has been developed based on national data
provided by the RoA Ministries and the RoA National Statistical
Service. Analytical assessments were conducted by more than 40
national experts, as well as by the "Scientific Research Institute of
Energy" CJSC and "Armenian State Hydro-meteorological and Monitoring
Service" state non-commercial organization.
In the framework of the Second National Communication Preparation
Project, the database for national inventory of greenhouse gases (GHG)
was improved and expanded; emission trends of 1990-2006 were
identified and GHG emission reduction potential in various sectors of
economy was assessed. According to assessments done within the Second
National Communication on Climate Change, total GHG emissions amounted
to 6,600 ton of CO2 equivalent in Armenia in 2000 with CO2 as the main
GHG (71%) and with "Energy" and "Land use, land-use change and
forestry" as main sources (53% and 23% respectively). "Land use,
land-use change and forestry" sector, a GHG removal in 1990, turned
into a GHG source. This was caused by increase in forest cuts and
decrease in the quality of arable lands and meadows that resulted in
emission of the accumulated carbon into atmosphere.
GHG emissions in Armenia were projected till 2020 and relevant
estimates were obtained. According to these estimates, total GHG
emissions are projected to reach 23,000 ton of CO2 equivalent by 2020
in "business-as-usual" scenario and 15,000 ton - in case of
implementation of mitigation measures. In both cases, "Energy" sector
is the main source of emissions.
Applying models of inter-governmental Panel for Climate Change,
experts of Armenian State Hydro-meteorological Service projected
trends for temperature and precipitation in Armenia till 2030, 2070
and 2100. According to these projections, temperatures may increase by
5.70C and precipitations fall by 27%, and hydro-meteorological
extremes may become more frequent and severe, if no effort is
undertaken to reduce GHG emissions globally.
According to these climate change scenarios, vulnerability of
Armenia's ecosystems and climate-dependent economy sectors was
assessed. As a result ofthese changes, extremely dangerous impacts are
expected in the country that would affect agriculture (food security),
water resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, human health,
settlements and infrastructures. E.g., shift of vertical climatic
zoning upwards will cause change in agro-climatic conditions,
reduction in the area and productivity of sub-alpine and alpine
pastures, due to decrease in precipitations and intensification of
evaporation, and demand for irrigation water will increase.
The Second National Communication identifies adaptation needs, which
should be addressed to ensure sustainable socio-economic development
of the country, and recommends measures for each sector. E.g., it is
necessary to introduce new and water saving technologies along with
expansion and renovation of the existing irrigation networks, to
introduce dry- and drought-resistant species, to account for climate
change factor in land use and infrastructure planning, to introduce an
insurance system, to improve efficiency of early warning and quick
response to weather extremes.
Armenia, as a non-Annex I Party to the Convention on Climate Change,
does not have quantified commitments for reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions. However, in order to assist the achievement of the ultimate
goal of the Convention, Armenia implements and will continue
implementing measures to reduce GHG emissions from the atmosphere.
The draft of the document is available on
www.nature-ic.am<http://www.nature-ic.am> web-site.