Armenia is a land-locked country of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. The majority of the country is at high altitude (over 1,000m above sea-level) including Lake Sevan a freshwater lake which, at 5,000km2, spans approximately one sixth of the nation’s area.  As of 2017 Armenia’s population was estimated at 3.0 million and its GDP at $11.6 billion. Around one third of the nation’s population live in its capital city Yerevan. Over the past decade the economy of Armenia has transitioned from industry-dominated to service-dominated. As of 2016 the service sector constituted 48.8% of the labor force. Agriculture remains a major employer with a labor market share of 35.3% while around 18% of the workforce is unemployed. Poverty persists, affecting around 30% of the population.

Finance and management of climate change issues and projects is integrated across multiple agencies and relevant sectors of the Armenian government, with reporting responsibilities falling on the Ministry of Nature Protection. The process behind the development of Armenia’s National Adaptation Plan has been documented by UNDP here. A range of concerns are raised by this rapid rate of climate change, including for the rural and highlands communities, as well as in the areas of water resources management and agricultural management. Armenia has signed and ratified the Paris Climate Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC, 2015). The key sectors identified for adaptation action include: natural ecosystems, human health, water resources management, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, energy, human settlements, and tourism.