As part of the production of a Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP) for the Republic of Armenia, experts from a wide variety of sectors have worked to outline the aim and priorities for biodiversity conservation. Included here is an outline of the Biodiversity Strategy for Armenia, including an overall aim, objectives and strategic approaches to dealing with the threats to biodiversity in the country. This constitutes a key part of the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, along with a brief contextual overview, a problem analysis and a detailed plan of prioritised actions and activities to meet the stated objectives, supported by specific budgets and timescales.

The overall aim of the Biodiversity Strategy is:

To ensure the conservation, sustainable use and regeneration of landscape and biological diversity of the Republic of Armenia, for sustainable human development

The objectives for the biodiversity strategy are listed below. The order of the objectives does not indicate any prioritization. The process of target setting is still underway, and the gaps will be completed in the final BSAP.

· To develop mechanisms which act to mitigate economic activities that negatively affect biodiversity, while ensuring that a more realistic market value is placed on biological resources by 2001.

· To increase internal and external investments in order to conserve and regenerate landscapes and biodiversity by 30% by 2004.

· To conserve, regenerate and sustainably use forest resources, with a resulting increase in healthy forested areas of 3000 ha by 2004.

· To support and extend the capacity to use science as a vital tool in guiding conservation management (including both research and monitoring), through increased investment of 15% in both relevant scientific programmes and professional training by 2004.

· To improve management systems relating to biodiversity conservation (including protected areas management) with the result of increased effectiveness by 2000.

· To improve legislation and economic mechanisms for the conservation and sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity, in line with the other objectives.

· To improve and strengthen the ecological education and training system, along with increasing public awareness of biodiversity, so that knowledge improves by 30% by 2004.

· To ensure the use of appropriate ecologically-friendly technologies in support of biodiversity conservation, through increased investment in this field of 10% by 2004.

· To ensure the participation of NGOs and other relevant stakeholders in all stages of project development and implementation, and improve their opportunities to take a direct role in conservation management, with an increased involvement of 20% by 2004.

· To conserve and regenerate species, ecosystems and landscapes, so that a further 3% is in a natural condition by 2004.

· To extend the network of specially protected areas, and to improve the effectiveness of the system by 5% by 2004, in an appropriate manner which takes into account the size and terrain of the country.

· To ensure the sustainable use and further regeneration of biological resources, including agrobiodiversity, to maintain 90% of genetic resources by 2004.

· To support and contribute to the sustainable development, including the further integration of biological resource management into the development of rural communities, to help to reduce the levels of poverty by 30% by 2004.

A number of different tools for addressing biodiversity conservation have been adopted as a means to reach the objectives listed in Section 9.2. These are listed in below, but their order does not imply any priority for different approaches.

Strategic approaches to biodiversity conservation in Armenia

· In-situ conservation.
· Ex-situ conservation.
· Sustainable use of biological and landscape diversity.
· Development of institutional potential and training.
· Ecological education and public participation.
· Identification and monitoring.
· Research.
· Information exchange and accessibility.
· Co-operation (technical, scientific, inter-state, technology transfer).
· Impact assessment.
· Legislation.
· Incentive measures.
· Financial resources.
· Co-ordination of the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP).