30
Aug
The Transboundary Joint Secretariat (TJS) provides support to the Ministries of Environment of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to increase regional sector harmonization and sector development in nature conservation and related socio-economic development.
The TJS is implemented as one of three components of the Ecoregional Nature Protection Programme for the Southern Caucasus which is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW. The “Ecoregional Programme” aims to preserve the bio-diversity in the Southern Caucasus in the long term by harmonizing the objectives and instruments of resource protection through cross-border cooperation among the respective national environmental actors. Besides TJS the other two components in the Ecoregional Programme are “Support to Individual Protected Area projects” (Individual PA projects) and “Financing Contributions to the Caucasus Nature Fund” (CNF). All three components are intrinsically linked and designed to work closely together to provide maximum synergy.
Objective:
Harmonization and further development of the sectors;
-Establishment and/or improvement of the instruments for a sound implementation of the sector policies (sector concepts and sector guidelines);
-Development of financing strategies and instruments for a sustainable funding of protected areas in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
| Outcome:A. Reduced the pressure on land use at the selected locations;
B. Supported the sustainable socio-economic development of the local population in harmony with nature. C.Harmonized sector policies of relevant ministries. D. Developed Financial Cooperation strategies and projects E. Improved operational instruments of the Protected Areas |
Within this context TJS works on local, national and supra-national/regional levels. Specific tasks for TJS at specific levels are as follows:
At the local level TJS will:
- Support the ministries to implement individual PA projects of the Ecoregional Programme upon request, giving advice on the implementation of innovative concepts and in the analysis of “lessons learned”; for example this could be appropriate for issues such as:
o Participatory Protected Areas (PA) planning and management,
o Nature-based tourism development,
o Medium to long term concepts for sustainable finance of running costs of PA,
o Development of a realistic approach for socio-economic development activities within the adjacent communities of PA;
- Support the ministries to establish transboundary mechanisms,
- Organize and finance exchange visits and workshops to facilitate experience exchange among seconded local staff of the field projects, their project implementing agencies and their implementation consultants.