On August 16, 2023, the results of the competitions organized for 7 settlements and families of Pambak and Tumanyan communities in Lori Region were summarized at the Vanadzor Technology Center.
The competitions were organized by "NGO Center", a civil society development NGO within the framework of "Promotion of Ecocorridors in the South Caucasus - II" project implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Armenia). "NGO Center" implements "Implementation of a participatory financial approach for socio-economic development in Armenia" component in this project. Debed, Margahovit, Yeghegnut of Pambak community and Ahnidzor, Dsegh, Lorut, Marts of Tumanyan community and more than 50 families of these settlements took part in the competitions.
The participants were welcomed by Karen Manvelyan, Director of the Armenian branch of the World Wildlife Fund, Arpine Hakobyan, President of "NGO Center" civil society development NGO, Tigran Hovsepyan, Advisor to Lori Regional Governor, representatives of the beneficiary settlements of the project.
In the competitions, settlements presented programs related to the improvement of living conditions, the harmonization of human activities and the protection of endangered species, the effective resolution of human-nature conflicts, the development of settlements in harmony with nature, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Families presented plans on how ecotourism, sharing tourism experiences, gathering edible herbs, tea grass, wild berries, harvesting, drying and supplying fruits and vegetables could help improve their incomes. They emphasized the sustainable use of pastures, forests, natural resources and solutions aimed at resolving mitigation of human wildlife conflict (hwc).
"We joined the Eco-Corridors program in order to unite residents to think about how to live with nature, be in harmony, not harm nature and be sensitive to nature," Arpine Hakobyan told EcoLur.
Nature and nature-based tourism were the basis for generating ideas for these competitions.
The first place with a prize fund of 2 million AMD was taken by the settlement of Yeghegnut for the improvement of roads in the mountains and fields. The second place with a prize fund of 1.5 million AMD was occupied by Lorut settlement, which plans to build a park. The third place was shared by Margahovit, Dsegh, Debed, Marts and Ahnidzor settlements, receiving 850 thousand AMD each.
In March, it is planned to install an observation post on the hill above the village. In Ahnidzor, this money will be used to purchase equipment for obtaining fertilizer from manure. The central park will be improved in Dsegh. In Debed, the roads leading to remote pastures will be improved, and in Margahovit they will implement an educational program on the effective use of natural resources.
21 of the families' ideas were declared winners. The first-place winners were awarded 200,000 AMD, the second-place winners 150,000 AMD and the third-place winners - 100,000 AMD.
Photo Credit: "NGO Center", a civil society development NGO
Photo Credit: "NGO Center", a civil society development NGO
Photo Credit: "NGO Center", a civil society development NGO
August 22, 2023 at 17:45