Integrated Erosion Control and pastoral management in the South Caucasus
The mountainous areas and alpine pastures of the South Caucasus are threatened by degradation of soil, erosion and a loss of biodiversity in general due to intensive overgrazing and over-use of mountain forests. This increasingly becomes a serious problem for the people living in these areas. Even though the importance of forests and alpine grass landscapes for erosion control is well known, no long-term solution has been found or implemented so far. Thus, GIZ commissioned a programme to develop solutions for the sustainable use of pastures and integrated erosion control in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Until 2017 an erosion and pasture monitoring scheme and exemplary erosion control measures shall be implemented at four pilot sites. The results shall be used for developing national guidelines. In this programme, E.C.O. is responsible for parts of the technical planning and implementation and the consortium and the international team leader, who is based in Georgia.