Armenia's agricultural sector is extremely sensitive to climate change and highly dependent on weather conditions.
As Irina Panosyan, Head of Department of Planning of Agricultural Programs of Economy Ministry, reported during the workshop organized in Yerevan ahead of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), the more frequent and intense dangerous hydrometeorological phenomena leave their negative consequences on the agricultural sector every year and significantly contribute to the reduction of production volumes, the reduction of the incomes of the rural population.
According to Irina Panosyan, among the dangerous hydro-meteorological phenomena in Armenia, the hailstorm causes the greatest damage to the agricultural sector.
100% of RA territory is subject to hail, drought and frost, 30% to mudslides and flooding. More than 80% of RA lands are subject to the effects of erosion, desertification, salinization/alkalization, overhumidity, and waterlogging.
It is predicted that the yield of agricultural crops will decrease by 8-14%, the areas of subalpine and alpine pastures by 19-22%, and the volume of crops obtained from them by 4-10% by 2030.
Economy Ministry has developed the concept of adaptation to climate change in the agricultural sector and measures to ensure its implementation. 20 measures were included in the plan of measures for 2023-2026 to ensure the implementation of the 2020-2030 strategy of the main directions ensuring the economic development of the RA agricultural sector, approved by the decision N 1222-L of July 20, 2023.
As a result of the implementation of these measures, it is expected that the knowledge and skills on the impact of climate change in the agricultural sector will increase, and the resistance of agricultural production to climate change, hydrometeorological hazards and risks will increase. As a positive result, mitigating the damages caused to agriculture and economic operators in relation to climate change, dangerous hydro-meteorological phenomena and risks, as well as creating prerequisites for resource-saving agriculture and increasing the capacities of economic operators are expected.
November 20, 2023 at 16:43