Yerevan – The Government of Japan generously contributed US$900,000 to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia to advance the implementation of the country’s national climate pledges.

Implemented in partnership with the Government of Armenia, particularly the Ministries of Environment, Emergency Situations, and Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the new Japan-funded project will strengthen the country’s climate resilience and help it scale up its adaptation measures, with a focus on vulnerable groups of the population including farmers and women led enterprises.

More specifically, it will help Armenia improve climate information and knowledge for reducing loss and damage and plan the implementation of evidence-based adaptation actions.

One of the planned interventions under the project will support the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, operating under the Ministry of Environment, to strengthen its weather forecast and hydrometeorological monitoring service capabilities as well as its climate risk reduction actions at all levels. This support will ensure that the country will be better equipped in the face of emerging climate challenges.

H.E. Masanori Fukushima, the Ambassador of Japan to Armenia, Hakob Simidyan, the Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Environment, and Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Armenia, launched the new partnership today, reiterating their commitment to support Armenia to achieve its commitments under the Paris Agreement as well as its social and economic development goals.

“The increasing frequency and intensity of hydro-meteorological hazards inflicts enormous losses and damages especially upon agriculture and infrastructure. In this regard, we are confident that the improved technical, technological, and professional capabilities developed within the program will significantly contribute to overcoming of these challenges” said Hakob Simidyan, Armenia’s Minister of Environment.

Speaking on the strategic goals of the new partnership, H.E. Masanori Fukushima, Ambassador of Japan to Armenia, noted that “In the modern world, when the terrible danger of climate change and global warming hangs over all of us, we need to take timely and effective measures to avoid disaster. I sincerely hope that this assistance will prove to be in time and relevant to reduce the risks of climate change and to achieve the reduction of emissions set to significantly decrease by 2030.”

UNDP has been supporting countries around the world, including Armenia, to update their Nationally Determined Contributions and increase their climate ambition, through the Climate Promise initiative. As the initiative is moving on to its second phase, UNDP is now helping countries deliver on their ambitious pledges, with Japan as the newest partner.

“The new initiative builds on the results of UNDP’s successful track record of working with the government and other stakeholders in areas of climate, environment and disaster risk reduction, contributing to national priorities in line with the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement,” highlighted Natia Natsvlishvili, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Armenia.

At COP26, UNDP launched the next phase of the Climate Promise - From Pledge to Impact - scaling up its support to turn NDC targets into concrete action in at least 100 countries. Japan becomes the largest supporter of this phase of the pioneering and groundbreaking initiative and joins the longstanding funding partners Germany, Sweden, EU, Spain, Italy, as well as the new funding partners UK, Belgium, Iceland, and Portugal to accelerate these efforts.

More information can be found on the Climate Promise website, climatepromise.undp.org.

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