Armenia

International media, which soon grasped the unprecedented scale of the Azerbaijani assault on Karabakh, was quick to publish news and analytical materials on the conflict, its background and its possible fallouts.

The recent escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) stands out among other previous cases, such as for instance in 2016 or July this year. This is so fist of all due to the scale and scope of the offensive as well as the new role Ankara assumed in them.

Not only in Artsakh, but also in the Republic of Armenia there is an unprecedented wave of support for the frontline. All over the country, thousands of men, and some women as well, are enlisting as volunteers.

Azerbaijan attacks Vardenis in Republic of Armenia.

The story of Amulsar gold mine prospect is a very complex and interesting one on many levels. Activists blocking the roads to Amulsar, blocking Lydian Armenia – a gold-mining company – from exploiting the gold prospect they heavily invested in. Lydian threatening legal action. The prime minister saying there’s 99.9% possibility that the mine will be launched. Activists and certain MPs, some, like Varazdat Karapetyan, claiming that “the law of moral right is above any other law, including the Constitution”. Eco-activists claiming that opening the mine will pollute Jermuk, including the hot springs and the Kechut reservoir, and through Kechut – lake Sevan, one of the most important freshwater reservoirs in the region. And that they won’t back down. Police clashing violently with protesters in front of the National Assembly and at the location of the prospect. Seems like the End Times are upon us. Or are they?

Practical approaches for environmental awareness-raising and education are critical nowadays, as, more than ever, it is vital for people to acknowledge the importance of biodiversity, as well as to learn about the various ways of protecting it. Biodiversity conservation can only be achieved if people acquire knowledge and motivation, engagement and responsibility needed to protect the natural resources. The awareness-raising of the public can be increased with the help of such practical tools as digital applications, social spots, educational movies, and engaging mini-campaigns. Taking this into consideration, the RA Ministry of Environment jointly with GIZ recently launched an environmental awareness-raising campaign in Armenia, which included mass media, presentations and screenings, talks, exhibitions, and other interactive techniques, addressing the public. In the framework of the campaign, visualized and practical approaches were effectively used to clearly show the importance of biodiversity, such as rare and threatened plant and animal species, and of nature protection in general.

Armenia is one of the world’s renowned biodiversity hotspots. A huge part of that rich biodiversity is within the pasture and grassland ecosystems. Besides the provision of fodder for livestock, pasture and grassland ecosystems also provide a variety of other services, such as regulation of terrestrial water cycle, maintenance of soil productivity and carbon storage, provision of edible plants, medicinal herbs, etc.

Nature is the biggest treasure shared among all nations – the ultimate source of all human life on Earth. The benefits provided by nature such as food, fresh water, medicinal resources, pollination, carbon storage, protection from natural disasters, and others are often referred to as ecosystem services. While ecosystem services are key to sustained livelihood and health, human activities often alter nature irreversibly. Thereby today, more than ever in human history, the consideration of ecosystem services in different sectors of economy and society is crucial for effective and ecosystem-friendly planning processes to secure the well-being of current and future generations. The “Integrating Ecosystem Services into Development Planning” guide is an important methodological tool to advance cross-sectoral integration of ecosystem services, applied in Armenia in the framework of IBiS programme by the joint initiative of the Public Administration Academy of the RA (PAARA) and GIZ on behalf of BMZ. To explore the overall framework of IES in Armenia, we talked to Meri Margaryan, Chief Specialist and Instructor at the Department of Training, Qualification Improvement and Research at the Public Administration Academy of RA (PAARA), and Alla Berberyan, Adviser at GIZ Armenia.