Within the framework of "Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia" (LILA) project, EcoLur will establish a public journalism network with the participation of active residents of the Project's target communities. On October 25, 2023, the teams of "EcoLur" Informational NGO and WWF-Armenia visited Shaghat settlement in Syunik Region in order to familiarize the residents with the project and select potential public journalists.
"In order to preserve the biodiversity in Shaghat area and use natural resources sustainably, eco-corridors are being established, where your support is needed. These works are carried out within the framework of "Promotion of Eco-Corridors in the Southern Caucasus" project. LILA project is closely related to the eco-corridors program and will help people take care of nature by having a source of income and new economic incentives," LILA project coordinator Naire Yeritsyan said in her welcoming speech.
She mentioned that with the support of the project, an 8-kW solar power plant and a water heater were installed on the roof of Shaghat kindergarten as part of the climate-resistant actions, and another 2-kW portable solar power plant was allocated to the agricultural cooperative of the settlement. In the winter, the electricity produced by the station will be used for the dryer, mill, and greenhouses, whereas in the summer, it will provide electricity for remote pastures.
"Through public journalism, residents can make their voices heard both to overcome problems and to make the village more recognizable to the public," Victoria Burnazyan, Vice-president of EcoLur Informational NGO, told the participants of the meeting.
According to the villagers, climate change has affected the life of the village in recent years. "There is no snow in winter, it affects the yield... Now there is no snow, the climate has changed, what is there is absorbed by the soil, there is little water. We had 3-4 sources of water in the village, there is not a single drop of water anymore, the sources have vanished... We also open the drinking water on the gardens, we have almost no water... On the other hand, due to the deterioration of the internal network, we have a 40% loss of water. It is important to repair the network in order to use water rationally," the residents noted.
The active residents of the meeting expressed their desire to become members of the public journalism network to personally inform about the socio-ecological problems, events, developments and successes of their settlements.
“Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia (LILA)” project is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Caucasus and Armenian offices in collaboration with Strategic Development Agency (SDA) NGO with the support of EcoLur Informational NGO.
November 06, 2023 at 14:34