Armenia : Strengthening Environmental Resilience and Fostering Sustainable Economy for Lake Sevan

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Urban policy, institutional and capacity development

The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will (i) improve the Government of Armenia's capacity for climate resilient and low-carbon development planning with a participatory approach involving the private sector and civil society; and (ii) identify strategic financial solutions for sustainable environmental infrastructure to develop Lake Sevan's economic potential while protecting its ecosystem from climate and environmental stresses.

Through high-level coordination meetings, facilitated by international experts, and dedicated focused sessions involving government agencies, the private sector, community representatives, and environment nongovernment organizations, the TA will raise awareness of and capacity to address climate threats and low-carbon and adaptation opportunities that can shape the Lake Sevan basin's sustainable development. Ultimately, it will contribute to economic growth by promoting green jobs in tourism, especially for women, and build women's resilience.

The TA is aligned with the following impact: climate resilient and low-carbon economic development of Lake Sevan basin fostered. The TA will have the following outcome: environmentally sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience planning in Lake Sevan basin strengthened.

The TA will have the following outputs:

Output 1: Institutional knowledge on climate adaptive economic development enhanced. Through a series of consultation sessions, workshops, roundtables, and visioning exercises under the output, the TA will provide capacity building on climate adaptive planning and strategic spatial planning for the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, the Water Committee, the Urban Development Committee, and local stakeholders. The capacity building exercises will be used to draw recommendations on (i) policy reforms needed to improve the institutional setup required to deliver sustainable and climate adaptive development plans, (ii) customized sustainable tourism practices, (iii) spatial and zoning plans for recreational areas that apply the principles of climate-adaptive economic development (including eco-tourism); and (iv) criteria for development to safeguard and valorize the natural capital potential of the lake and its surrounding national park (including road map guidelines for harmonizing the general exterior decoration of buildings in the recreational zone with the natural surroundings to maintain the area's aesthetic appeal). The capacity building program will include the use of geographic information systems to assess adaptation needs and scenarios, especially relating to climate-induced drought and flood risk management, the synergies between different activities and land uses, and the use of nature-based solutions. Under this output, the consultants engaged will conduct analysis and research to identify gaps in the current climate modeling capacity for Lake Sevan, building on similar initiatives by development partners, ongoing as of July 2023. The key output of this analysis will be terms of reference for strengthening the climate modeling capacity of the government (including governance structures, funding mechanisms, and possible sources).

Output 2: Solutions fostering environmental sustainability and disaster resilience promoted. This output will identify a portfolio of strategic environmental infrastructure investments to comply with the requirements of the Procedure for Identifying, Developing, and Evaluating Public Investment Programmes (and other investments based on Output 1 findings) which can be economically and financially viable, including, where appropriate, through payment for ecosystems services. Resilience-building investments to be identified will include (i) the institutional and financing solutions (regulatory, policy, and other enabling frameworks, including, crucially, tariffs) that will ensure the sustainability of the hard infrastructure investments (decentralized sanitation and wastewater in particular); and (ii) climate change adaptation and mitigation features.

Climate resilient and low-carbon development of Lake Sevan basin fostered

Environmentally sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience planning in Lake Sevan basin strengthened

Institutional knowledge on climate adaptive economic development enhanced

Solutions fostering environmental sustainability and disaster resilience promoted

About 11 person-months of an international consulting firm, 7 person-months of international consultants, and 7 person-months of national consultants will be required.