In order to ensure sustainability and regional support of projects after the investment period, CEPF should work within the framework of government action plans and international conventions. By investing in the four strategic directions described above, CEPF will help build a stable foundation for biodiversity conservation in the Caucasus Hotspot for the long-term. Increased transboundary cooperation will ensure that efforts to conserve biodiversity happen on a regional level. Strengthening protected areas will help safeguard globally threatened species and unique habitats, ensuring they are managed properly on inviolable lands. Assistance and training to NGOs and conservation agencies will ensure that local organizations gain professional tools and potential to continue to work on conservation issues long after funding has run out. Finding ways for rural communities to benefit from nature conservation, through sustainable resource use, will boost local economies, helping reduce pressures on biodiversity. Involving NGOs in planning and monitoring development projects will ensure that long-term economic endeavors take into account consequences to biodiversity.
The strategy to build environmental awareness of decisionmakers and other stakeholders on the importance of conserving biodiversity and the environment in the Caucasus is perhaps the most important component to ensure long-term sustainability of conservation measures. By investing in building awareness, CEPF will help build support for biodiversity conservation from decisionmakers, businesses and land users at the community level. Rural populations-those with a direct link to natural resource use-are generally the least informed on conservation issues. By focusing awareness strategies in target corridors, these rural communities will gain knowledge that will last a lifetime, empowering them to make informed decisions about their environment.
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