November 2024 - Present

Partners:

World Bank Armenia

Unique Land Use GmbH

Environment Group

Development of ecosystem services: Pilot Management Plan of Emerald Site Armash:

Payment for ecosystem services for Emerald sites under EU4Environment program.

Environment Group provided consulting services for the development of ecosystem services, supporting the Government of Armenia in advancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource use by developing ecosystem service valuation methodologies and establishing a framework for Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) in Emerald sites, of which covers approximately 36% of the country’s territory. Funded by the EU and implemented by international partners such as the Ministry of Environment, the work was carried out under the EU Environment Programme, ensuring alignment with EU biodiversity and environmental policy standards.

What we delivered: 

• Environment Group assisted this project by using its experts to assess the ecological and socio-economic benefits of the services provided by Emerald sites, such as water regulation, soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The team identified key stakeholders within these areas (farmers, local communities, water users and municipalities) to analyse the livelihood impacts of introducing PES schemes and potential economic trade-offs.

• Conducted in-depth research studies on Armenia’s ecosystem services potential, with a specific lens on forest, water and agricultural landscapes within Emerald sites.

• Developed methodological documents for ecosystem service valuation and PES design, drawing on international best practices (EU biodiversity strategy, TEEB, and CBD guidelines) to measure and assess their value and turn the value into a PES scheme.

• Reviewed PES experiences from EU member states and other Eastern Partnership countries and designed the PES of Armenia aligned with EU and international standards.