Լանդշաֆտային պլանավորման մեթոդաբանության ներդրումը ՀՀ ազգային էկոլոգիական ցանցի ստեղծման մեջ/Introduction of Landscape Planning Methodology in the Establishment of the National Ecological Network of the RA

The task of nature conservation and landscape management has broadened and has become more differentiated as social changes occur and as European influence on environmental protection policies increases. The Convention on Biological Diversity requires signatory countries to establish networks of protected areas to conserve habitats and species. In the EU, the Habitats Directive obliges the Member States to designate representative habitats as protected areas within the framework of the «Natura 2000» network. Armenia has established various categories of protected areas and plans to establish more. Landscape planning can help in the selection of territories by identifying areas which are of great significance for the conservation of biodiversity and most sensitive to impacts of anthropogenic pressure. Landscape planning can also help during the process of determining the external boundaries of new protected areas and their internal zones. The information and analysis produced by a landscape planning process can provide important input to the preparation of protected areas’ management plans. A management plan sets out the objectives and management policies for a protected area and the actions which the protected area’s administration intends to carry out in pursue of those objectives and policies. Landscape planning provides a comprehensive and detailed assessment of the natural components of the territory under examination and of the policies and measures required to maintain ecosystem functions.