Supporting People, Conserving Nature, In The Caucasus
 

MISSION

The vision of the Caucasus Nature Fund is the conservation of the unique flora, fauna and landscapes of the magnificent Caucasus for the region’s people, our world and its future.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to protect the network of national parks and nature reserves in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia by 2020:
  • assuring direct long-term funding for their operations, and
  • promoting sustainable development around these protected areas.
The Caucasus is a biological crossroads, where species from Central and Northern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa mingle with endemics (local species found nowhere else). Extremes in altitude, broad variations in climate, soil and vegetative conditions combine in a wide range of landscapes and unusually high diversity of species, including more than 50 species of globally threatened animals. The spectacular Caucasus leopard in our logo now numbers only 1,500 individuals in the world, and 40 in the South Caucasus roaming the border with Europe.

Conservation International has designated the Caucasus as one of its 34 “biodiversity hotspots” around the world—meaning that while it is rich in endemic species (found only in this area), it is extremely threatened. Critical problems include unsustainable development, destruction of forests for fuel and poaching, and a severe shortage of funds to do the essential day-to-day conservation work. It’s estimated that current government budgets cover less than 50% of the funds necessary to effectively operate priority conservation areas.

By providing funding for operations and sustainable development around PAs, the Caucasus Nature Fund contributes directly to:
  • Nature and Biodiversity—Protection of one of the world's uniquely endowed regions.
  • Reduced Carbon Emissions—Securing carbon sinks by protecting intact forest areas, including remaining old growth forests (reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD)).
  • People and Progress—Promotion of sustainable development in a culturally rich, but economically impoverished region by supporting:
o stable jobs in parks and reserves;
o related employment and economic growth as tourism develops;
o educational initiatives on conservation in the parks;
o civil society (NGO and private sector) actors, who help us design and implement our programs; and
o improved government, as our public-private partnerships produce more transparent and efficient management of the region’s protected areas.