Armenia`s Cabinet amends grant programme of environmental protection

ArmInfo. On March 20, the Government of Armenia approved a proposal to introduce the first amendment to the grant agreement between the Republic of Armenia, the  International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the  International Development Association .

As stated in the explanatory note to the document, the grant  agreement was  signed on May 22, 2024. It is aimed at implementing a number of  commitments and policies adopted by the Government of the Republic of  Armenia in the field of environmental protection, in particular, in  the context of biodiversity conservation, reclamation of abandoned  and unclaimed mines, reforestation and regulation of the relevant  legislative framework.

The total budget of the Agreement is $9.1 million. The total amount  of funds available at the time of signing the Agreement was  $6,946,863. The program is included in the state budget of Armenia  for 2025 in the amount of 679.6 million drams (co-financing is not  required).

The proposed amendment provides for the introduction of the first  amendment to the Agreement, a, the amount allocated by the  multi-donor trust fund should be increased to $2,506,748 from  $1,496,863>, - the document says.

In May 2024, it was reported that the World Bank Board of Executive  Directors approved the   program (RESILAND Armenia), which will help the government of the  republic strengthen community participation and improve the  management of forests, wetlands and protected areas in some areas of  the country. As reported by the press service of the World Bank, the  program, which received support in the amount of $ 5.45 million from  the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and a grant of $ 3.65 million,  co-financed by the Government of Sweden, is also aimed at improving  the institutional framework for sustainable landscape management. The  goal of the project is to expand the area under sustainable  management, mitigate forest fragmentation, increase tree cover  density and improve the management of abandoned wetlands. In addition  to the above goals, the program will stimulate sustainable economic  activity and the creation of environmentally sustainable jobs in  selected rural communities. New and restored forests and wetlands  will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the country's  resilience to the impacts of climate change. The RESILAND Armenia  program is a component of the joint efforts of the World Bank and the  Government of Armenia to support the country's sustainable  development goals and transition to a green economy. The Climate and  Development Report, which is currently being developed by the World  Bank in cooperation with the Government of Armenia, as well as the  GREEN Armenia platform and the Green, Sustainable and Inclusive  Development Policy Operation of Armenia, are the result of joint  efforts that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions  and stimulate climate adaptation.