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Joint Co-operation Strategy on Climate Change and Security in Northern Armenia and Southern Georgia

Joint Co-operation Strategy on Climate Change and Security in Northern Armenia and Southern Georgia

Historically, most fires in the South Caucasus have been caused by human activities, particularly in connection with the use of agricultural and pastoral lands. This continues to be the case today. However, as a result of climate change, the frequency, intensity and severity of fires could increase as temperatures rise, precipitation levels change, and heatwaves and droughts become more frequent and intense – conditions that are conducive to the occurrence and spread of fires. 

Uncontrolled and undesired landscape fires and wildfires – referred to here as “fires” for short – pose environmental, economic, social and health risks and, therefore, undermine human security. Moreover, post-fire hazards, such as landslides, mudflows and floods, may create an additional burden for people, especially those whose access to resources is already limited on account of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status or other factors. In this way, fires have a negative impact on socio-economic stability and livelihood security, thereby putting further pressure on societies. In situations where these security challenges are shared across multiple jurisdictions in border regions, such as in northern Armenia and southern Georgia, joint co-operative efforts are required to find appropriate solutions.

Strengthened and targeted co-operation between the two countries, in particular between municipalities in border regions, is of paramount importance as it makes it possible to address these risks in a holistic and sustainable manner. On the one hand, co-operation activities would help to improve the livelihoods, security and resilience of communities in the context of a changing climate. On the other hand, they would reinforce trust and good-neighbourly relations in the region. Armenia and Georgia have a longstanding history of co-operation on fire management and capacity-building, including activities facilitated by the OSCE in close partnership with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC).

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This description was retrieved from osce.org