Working in partnership with the national governments, CNF provides matching grants for operating costs and salary supplements, essential equipment and maintenance. In addition, we support the development of management plans, biodiversity monitoring systems and ecotourism program that support sustainable development and livelihoods in the local communities.

Because governmental budgets for basic operating costs (such as salaries, uniforms, utilities, maintenance, and equipment) for Protected Areas in the South Caucasus have historically been insufficient, CNF provides a vital and long-term source of funding to ensure essential park functions are maintained. Funding for maintenance of facilities and equipment, for example, ensures that infrastructure and other capital investments made by us and others are not lost.

CNF’s funding priorities in coming years will include staff training to build Protected Area-level capacities. We have introduced SMART patrolling to ensure better protection and patrolling at our parks in Georgia, while in Armenia we have funded an extensive program of surveillance systems at our PA’s.

Biodiversity monitoring provides data on species’ population trends and ecosystem health, and enables an analysis of threats and impacts from human interactions and changing environmental conditions. It is an essential conservation tool for appropriately managing a park’s natural resources and offers valuable information on the effectiveness of Protected Area management. Presently there is incomplete data for species in the Caucasus ecoregion, and most of the parks lack the capacity to implement even basic monitoring systems.

CNF supports biodiversity monitoring projects by paying for equipment and studies so the parks have reliable data about the species in the region. Further, in Georgia it has supported in the implementation of a 10-year biodiversity monitoring plan; in Armenia, CNF has sponsored the implementation of a five year plant diversity monitoring program with Institute of Botany.

Over time, our work in the PA’s of Georgia and Armenia has contributed to significant increases in populations which were becoming extinct. Thus, the Caucasian leopard has reappeared in Armenia, where we now count 10 -12 animals. In Armenia,  a joint program with WWF to re-introduce red deer has resulted in a population of 37 animals, three of whom are established outside of the breeding centre. Adjacent to Georgia’s Vashlovani PA’s, goitered gazelles from Azerbaijan have successfully established in local plains.

The Caucasus region is known for its cultural as well as biological diversity – with the majority of its inhabitants living in rural areas where the main economic activities include raising cattle and sheep and small-scale farming. Overgrazing, logging and illegal hunting are damaging the region’s ecosystems, resulting in an overall loss of biodiversity and threatening the livelihoods of the local people.

CNF encourages cooperation among governments, local communities and park authorities to promote sustainable economic development and nature protection. CNF funds support sustainable tourism plans which provide alternative and more sustainable economic opportunities.

Management plans guide day-to-day operations in the parks and set short- and long-term priorities for administrators. Created with a participatory approach that involves local communities, farmers and other stakeholders, management plans identify potential areas of conflict and propose land use strategies that conserve biodiversity while maintaining rural livelihoods.

CNF has worked with international consultants and local NGOs to create a standard for management plans that encourages long-term planning and efficient use of resources.

From working with one park in 2009 (Georgia’s Borjomi Kharagauli), CNF now works with 18 parks across the region – 13 parks in Georgia, and five in Armenia. We supported 70 rangers in 2009, and 850 park employees in 2023. In 2009, we supported 107,000 hectares of protected land; in 2023, that number is at 679,910 hectares.