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Here is a selection of activities that the Protected Areas for a Living Planet project has contributed to in the last 12 months in the Caucasus Ecoregion:

Regional level activities:

The 10th meeting of the Caucasus Biodiversity Council revised the Caucasus Ecoregional Conservation Plan (ECP) and supported transboundary activities between Georgia and Turkey.
The first of its kind Regional Biodiversity Monitoring Network (RBMN) has been launched to help assess status and trends of biodiversity and identify conservation priorities.
A detailed review of the implementation of CBD targets on Protected Areas (PAs) in the region has been published and launched at CBD COP10 in Nagoya, Japan.

National level activities:

ARMENIA

A brochure on "Protected Areas and Communities" has been published that presents information about PAs and socio-economic development.
Two volumes of the Red Book on plants and animals have been published.
A brochure on PAs investment in Armenia has been published.

AZERBAIJAN

For the first time, a comprehensive GIS database for PAs has been developed.
A Tourism Development Plan for Shirvan National Park has been submitted to the Government.
IUCN guidelines for Sustainable Financing of PAs has been translated into national language and published.

GEORGIA

A complete inventory of Natural Monuments has been conducted and law to protect them is currently being developed.
A PA economic valuation process is currently conducted in two pilot sites.
A radio programme on biodiversity and PAs and a public service announcement served to raise awareness during the International Year of Biodiversity.

RUSSIA

In the Russian part of Caucasus creation and extension of PAs is underway: it is planned to extend protection with 484881 hectares.
An analysis on PAs and future development in the North Caucasus has been published.

TURKEY

A stakeholder workshop on Protected Areas & Climate Change was convened and a Draft National Strategy for Turkey was developed.
WWF, MoEF and UNDP jointly organized a series of public activities throughout the year to celebrate the 2010 Year of Biodiversity.
An interactive map of PAs is currently being designed.
A RAPPAM report (in Turkish) was published in 2009.

Rivermouth at Cayagzi, Turkey

Key Facts

© Caucasian leopard © WWF Armenia / A. Malkhasyan / I. Khorozyan / M. Boyajyan

Armenia

PAs cover 12.4% of the country
In 2009 the Government approved 230 new Natural Monuments

© The Bezoar Goat (Capra aegagrus) is a vulnerable wild ibex, native to Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and Turkmenistan. It is a slender-bodied species of wild goat with a body length 120-150 cm, shoulder height 70-100 cm and average live weight 35-40 kg. Colouration is russet, with some tint of gray in winter. © WWF Armenia / A. Malkhasyan

Azerbaijan

PAs cover more than 10% of the territory
Since 2004 PAs coverage has increased by 4.5%

Georgia

More than 7% of the country is protected
A transboundary PA (23,000 ha) with Turkey is planned

Russia

12,000 PAs cover 200 million ha or 12% of the country
Russia has committed to protect additional 10 million ha by 2020
The total area of world heritage sites in Russia exceeds 20 million ha

Turkey

there are 305 different categories of PAs in Turkey
4.5% of the country is currently protected