Arus Nersisyan is Director of "Arpa" Environmental Foundation, and has been leading an organization established by Areni, Gnishik, and Khachik communities for 9 years. It was the first time in Armenia that a woman leader had taken on the protection of a specially protected area. The foundation is a community structure that carries out activities in the fields of nature protection, tourism, and community development.
"As a woman, you face numerous problems, but if you are not timid by nature and are resilient to problems, you can overcome all these challenges by involving both the staff and supporters who are by your side—from family members to community involvement. Since the foundation is a community structure, board members are involved in management, and decisions requiring complex solutions are made together with the foundation's board members," said Arus Nersisyan.
According to Arus, with the right approach, communities can not only preserve their natural environment but also reap economic benefits from it. The foundation tries to combat poaching not only through supervision but also by showing alternative income opportunities, such as off-road tours, food service, and other forms of ecotourism. "When we first started operations, poaching numbers were quite high, and our struggle was quite difficult. However, with the involvement of our inspectors, we have been able to overcome this problem to some extent; we have created cooperation with law enforcement agencies and the environmental inspectorate. To some extent, activities have become easier now because, as a result of joint work, we are able to prevent illegal activities in the protected landscape. We try to show people that there are alternative ways of earning income and working besides poaching. For example, providing tourism services. We have numerous cases where we have involved locals in providing a service in the protected landscape. And they have seen that this activity is more profitable than hunting," she noted.
According to Arus, nature conservation and tourism are interconnected fields. "Especially for adventurous and nature-loving people, this is the best combination. The historical and cultural monument, Noravank, mainly attracts tourists visiting the region, but the 'Arpa' protected landscape with its location and the Noravank Gorge provides an opportunity for tourists not only to admire the historical and cultural monument but also to use other forms of tourism, such as adventure and tourism experiences, gastro tourism," she noted.
"Arpa" Environmental Foundation constantly strives for innovation. International organizations and programs come to its aid on this path. "The foundation would not exist and would not be able to carry out its operations if it weren't for our loyal donors, especially WWF and the Caucasus Nature Fund, which constantly support us. From 2024, we have created a new cooperation with 'Strategic Development Agency' NGO within the framework of 'Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia' (LILA) project. 'Strategic Development Agency' has contributed to the development of the foundation's capabilities and supported the retrofitting of the foundation's information center. Within the framework of the project, we have developed new experiences—the ranger tour, off-road tours to other areas. These are nature-based experiences that have generated great interest. This year, we anticipate a large flow of tourists. We have an information center in Areni, which was not furnished, and within the framework of the project, we were able to equip our visitor center with equipment. The center will contribute to the creation of additional jobs in Areni, and we will be able to expand our activities by providing tourists with more extensive information about the attractions and experiences in the region. In the entire Vayots Dzor Region, especially in Areni and Yeghegnadzor, there is no information center from which tourists can get the information they need. In this regard, the activity of our visitor center is important, as we provide information about experiences and tourist attractions in the region and help ensure that tourists' searches do not take long. There are sufficient gaps that tourists cannot properly navigate in the area, as there are no appropriate signs regarding streets and attractions. We try to help tourists navigate correctly in the area by explaining the location online. Through the new Areni information center, the foundation also contributes to the development of tourist services and support for local entrepreneurs," Arus noted.
She mentioned the success of another project implemented with "Strategic Development Agency," which they have simultaneously combined with LILA project. "Within the framework of LILA and RECONOMY projects, we have supported 13 families from the region who are currently providing a unique experience. Within the framework of the projects, we have presented them on special platforms, thanks to which these families will be able to receive guests and generate income from various experiences," she said.
Arus Nersisyan has many ideas related to the future of the foundation, aiming to involve more communities in nature conservation and sustainable tourism development processes. "We have many ideas that we want to implement both within the protected landscape and outside the protected landscape. If possible, we want the landscape area to expand and more communities to be involved in nature protection, and of course, to expand our nature-based experiences in those areas. We are thinking of developing new experiences within the framework of which locals will also be involved and will have the opportunity to receive additional income," she said.
"Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia" (LILA) project is funded by the Swiss government through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and is implemented by WWF Caucasus and Armenian offices in collaboration with "Strategic Development Agency" (SDA) NGO.
March 03, 2025 at 09:59