Project Update
OSCE advances co-operation on climate resilience and wildfire risk reduction in the South Caucasus
- Issued on:
- Issued by:
- Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities
- Fields of work:
- Environmental activities
The OSCE gathered Armenian and Georgian representatives in Yerevan for a workshop on joint approaches to wildfire risk reduction and climate-related security risks from 3 to 4 December.
The event launched a pilot initiative that seeks to turn shared challenges into action towards increased climate resilience after a joint strategy for Northern Armenia and Southern Georgia on Climate Change and Security in 2024 identified wildfires as a priority area to strengthen regional security.
The workshop brought together over 30 participants from national ministries, municipal authorities and specialized agencies, who reviewed the initial findings of a joint fire risk mapping of Northern Armenia and Southern Georgia’s border regions in close collaboration with GEO Outlook, the Global Fire Monitoring Centre and adelphi.
The discussions focused on how climate change — specifically warmer temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns — combined with local land use patterns is leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires across both nations.
Experts also shared insights on addressing data gaps and interoperability issues between the relevant agencies and on involving local communities in the process.
The results of the workshop will inform the completion of joint fire risk maps and contribute to the next phase of activities designed to strengthen cross-border climate resilience and co-operation. They will also be used in upcoming regional and international events such as the 17th UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity to be held in Armenia in 2026.
The workshop was part of the OSCE’s extrabudgetary project “Strengthening responses to security risks from climate change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia”, implemented by Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities in partnership with adelphi and OSCE field operations. The project is funded by Andorra, Austria, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.