Promoting land-use management and climate friendly energy production in the South Caucasus

Context

Land-use systems in countries in the South Caucasus are contributing to land degradation. The primary causes are the overuse and underuse of pasture land, large-scale tree felling for firewood, a lack of alternative energy sources and little environmental awareness. These problems have a direct impact on rural life.

Many households live in energy poverty and depend on natural resources to meet their heating needs, thus adding to the strain on forests and affecting the reliability of the rural power supply.

Objective

Conditions for climate and biodiversity friendly use of natural resources are sustainably improved, with a special focus on energy security for the rural population.

Approach

The project pursues an approach that encourages the climate and biodiversity friendly use of natural resources. The overarching objective is to create a more enabling environment for the climate friendly use of pasture, agricultural and forest land. Moreover, the focus is on energy security for the rural population.

The following fields of activity are addressed:

• Developing methods for improving land use and ensuring more efficient use of natural resources. Besides wood, the project promotes the dung and useful crop residues and agricultural waste that are in continuous supply and can be marketed.
• Supporting pilot activities that encourage climate-friendly pasture management, energy efficiency and alternative energies, for example by assessing the energy efficiency of select furnaces for solid biomass and using the findings as a basis for identifying and creating energy-efficient models.
• Working with partners on framing strategies to strengthen environmental education and research and developing campaigns to promote awareness and environmental education, especially among young people.

Last update: February 2025