Azerbaijan

Presentation for the Steering Committee meeting of the ENP East Countries/FLEG II ProgramMinsk, Republic of Belarus.

October 1-2 2013.

Rahim IbrahimovFLEG Program’s Focal Point

Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan,Forest Development Department

Development of the Country Working Plan (CWP)

Main features of the draft CWP:

• Continuity• Consistency in implementation• Basing on main national principles

and principles of Sankt Petersburg

declaration

Continuity in development:

• Development of list of priorities considering experience and recommendations from FLEG 1.

• Consultations with the stakeholders and development of proposals for the CWP.

• Conduction of a series of NPAC meetings for discussion of the proposals.

• Preliminary determination of pilot regions, trips and meetings ith the local self-governing authorities on the ground and local executive authorities.

• Ensuring participation of implementing organizations and of the EU.

National Priorities of Forest sector development

• Fight with the illegal logging and illegal grazing at the forest territories;

• Restoration of forest landscapes, particularly tugay forests and forests at the arid territories;

• Active involvement of the local population and youth in particular to the process of forests’ protection;

• Forest inventory;• Diversification of the energy sources aimed to decrease loads on

the forests;• Improving the legislative base and law enforcement practices;• Increasing of institutional capacities and education in the forest

sector.

Main National Priorities of the FLEG Program

• Development of mechanisms and measures of diversification of the energy sources used by the local population in the regions and application of the state-supported system on alternatives to utilization of wood as a firewood.

• Continuation of development of modifications and amendments to the corresponding laws and legal acts for strengthening of law enforcement in the forest sector. Also promotion of constrictive dialog between the government and business for the possible application of FSC certification system.

• Technical support in application of pilot projects on establishment of model forests as an example of sustainable and democratic management of the forest resources.

•Development of methodology and pilot initiatives with the involvement of the local authorities and local communities to the issues of eefective restoration and preservation of tugay (flood-plain) forests at the arid territories of Azerbaijan.

• Conduction of needs assessment and development of the program for the restoration of a system of professional technical education in the forest sector;

• Continuation of working out of tools for development of the sustainable livestock management and protection of the forests from the illegal grazing through application of pilot initiatives and stepwise shift from semi-nomadic to rancho based grazing.

• Development of mechanisms of sustainable recreation and a concept for the development of tourism at the territories of the State Forest Fund

• Support the development of a long-term strategy and action plan for the sustainable management of the forest sector that includes provisions for considering economic and social interests of population, business and state.

• Development of long-term local and regional prognosis, strategies and plans of adaption of forest sector to the climate change.

• Technical support for the evaluation the costs of services from ecosystems and through the stimulation of inventory of resources, evaluation of the services from ecosystems as a tool of effective forest use for the sustainable forest management.

• Regional conferences and summer camps aimed to strengthen international cooperation of the young foresters. Technical support in set up of school-based foresters unions and establishment of networking and other tools for its effective promotion. Successful implementation of this activity will be a huge support in propaganda of the forest preservation as well as contributes to worthy generational change in the forest sector. Necessity in continuation of cooperation between the MENR and Ministry of Emergency Situations on development of manuals featuring safeguard activities in the forest.

Draft of CWP consists of 5 main units

• Development of effective forest management and prevention of illegal logging. Evaluation of forest ecosystem services and utilization of best international practices.

•Improvement of efficiency of law enforcement and governance in the forest sector.

•. Improvement of practices of prevention of illegal pasture in the forests through effective pasture management system and involvement of local communities through conduction of pilot projects.

• Securing guarantees of rights for local population and small business for legal access to forest resources through restoration and expansion of forests on municipal and state forestlands.

• Raising of public awareness, education, communications and distribution of information.

Activities

ENPI/FLEG (1st Phase) ENP/FLEG East Countries (2nd Phase )

1.1 Analysis of law enforcement problems and management in the state forest sector, application of indicators, conduction of consultations with the stakeholders on a list of indicators. Discussion and delivering of recommendations from the state forest sector regarding the legal frameworks and practices aspects of application of indicators.

1.1 Conducting TEEB scoping study for the forestry sector of Azerbaijan .

1.2 Development of the concept and proposals of the sustainable recreational principles and development of eco tourism at the Forest territories

1.3 Development of local and regional plans of adaption of forest sector to the climate change at local and regional level. Support to the local initiatives for the forest disaster management and other potential impact of CC on forest..

1.2 Identification of sensitive regions with the high risk of illegal logging. Pilot assessment and analysis of scales and causes of development of illegal logging on the example of the pilot region. Development and application of various tools and remote control.

3.2 Conduction of pilot initiatives and development of special economic stimulus proposals for the local population to create and use the high-efficient and energy-consuming technologies and in order to diversify energy sources as alternatives to the forest-based heating sources as well as recommendations on creation of institutional grounds for maintenance and technical support of these types of alternatives. Together with the State Agency on Renewable Energy Sources conduction of pilot projects on set up of model alternative energy sources in the pilot regions .

Мероприятия ENPI/FLEG (1st Phase) ENP/FLEG East Countries (2nd Phase )

1.3 Sociological surveys, expert interviews, data collection and analysis of state of the law enforcement in the forest sector focusing on issues of access to the forest resources of the local authorities, self-governing authorities and local communities.

4.2 Development at the community pilot sites and those allocated by the local municipalities the test site for the growing of planting material for effective reabilitation of tugay forests (flood plain forests located at the arid territories) with the closed root system with application of modern technologies and active involvement of local population.

 

1.4 Effect Analysis of cross-border smuggling of forest resources. Development of recommendations to prevent the smuggling of forest resources at the national and regional levels .

2.2 Support informal Regional Initiative Group (RIG) members in Azerbaijan in promoting voluntary forest certification (based on FSC standards). Establish demonstration model for sustainable forest management (SFM) practices  3.3 Conduct policy, institutional and legislative analysis of the forestry sector of Azerbaijan and prepare recommendations on the key principles and provisions to be incorporated into national forest policy and legislation based on the FSC standards; lobby for incorporation of FSC forest management standards and a concept of forests with High Conservation Value (HCV) in national forest policies and legislation.

2.4 Analysis of economic, and social impact of uncontrolled illegal logging activities and practices of unsustainable forest management by the local communities in Azerbaijan.

2.3 Measuring of real value of forest resources for the development of communities. Organization of special training/seminar for the forest sector specialists and relevant stakeholders to study existent EU forest legislation , good practice and execution of the EC Regulation 995/2010 .

Мероприятия ENPI/FLEG (1st Phase) ENP/FLEG East Countries (2nd Phase )

3.1 Based on best international practices analysis of existent practices and legislation and development of recommendation s for improving of methods of preservation of the forests in the country. Development of recommendations on prevention of illegal grazing in the forests as a willful violation and investigation of causes and consequences of these violations in the regions.

2.6 To strengthen the law enforcement in forest relations development of the modifications' and amendments' proposals to the normative legal acts and development of drafts of the new relevant legal acts.

 3.2 Development of political scheme and proposals on increasing o f effectiveness of pasture management and local stock for the protection of the young forest..

3.1 Support to pilot activities (scaling up of several ongoing projects) aimed at introduction of more sustainable livestock management (e.g. shift from semi-nomadic to rancho based grazing), and to prevent illegal grazing at the forest territories development and application of pilot alternative models on sustainable stock-raising and forest protection.

4.1 Development of strategy for ensuring of rights of local communities, local authorities and businesses for the legal use of the forest resources. Issues of expanding of the forests through application of economic stimulus for the businesses and communities. Providing skills and benefits for the restoration of exterminated forests. This component includes assessment of legal tools for the support of this process. Development of “Model Forests” concept.

4.1 Support to joint set up and to implementation of “Model Forests” concept in the pilot regions. Conduction of the forest rehabilitation activities aimed to expand model sites.

Мероприятия

ENPI/FLEG (1st Phase) ENP/FLEG East Countries (2nd Phase )

5.1 ; 5.2 Development of newsletters and FLEG website in the national language. Development of leaflets and publications on FLEG’s tasks. Working out of teacher support pack for education of the local communities and youth with the involvement of the education sector to the process of protection and preservation of the forests at the local level. Trainings for the local population and local self-governing authorities. Development of the quarterly bulletins, Ensuring regular informational coverage of FLEG issues in Azerbaijan.

5.1 Preparation of FLEG booklets, country quarterly newsletters and other informational documents and permanent update of the country website; development of the special page for networking and coverage of activities of the young foresters\ movement; development of forest education publications, including tutorials, manuals and supporting packs such as "Safe activity in the forest" and others, support to regional initiatives, summer camps and conferences aimed to support young foresters' movement and ensuring international cooperation in this realm.

2.5 Support in development of tutorials and special education programs featuring of the country’s forestry particularities; increasing of qualifications of employees working in the forestry sector and support in set up together with the MENR and the Ministry of Education of system of professional technical (vocational) education in the forest sector.

 5.4 Conduction of meetings with the stakeholders.

5.2 Conduct awareness raising activities for the general public; increase the levels of involvement of local NGOs and communities in forestry activities

Thank you for your attention!

Tel.: (994-12) 510-34-19. Fax: (994-12) 510-33-31.E-mail: Iragim_forest@mail.ruIbrahimovragimforest@mail.az

www. enpi-fleg.az