Dilijan consolidated community is currently facing a range of risks and challenges caused by climate change. In his interview with EcoLur, Albert Haroyan, President of “EcoPolitics” NGO, discussed these risks and how they can be mitigated.
“The community is vulnerable to heavy rains, hail, river flooding, and forest fires. Dilijan community is surrounded by “Dilijan” National Park. In this regard, forest fires are also risky and threatening, particularly in terms of biodiversity and wildlife protection. These risks endanger both natural ecosystems and the living conditions and economies of the population,” he said.
In 2024, the flooding of the Aghstev River caused serious problems in Dilijan and across the Tavush region. “Many areas were submerged, and the damage was significant for both residents and businesses. The government has taken certain steps, especially from the perspective of disaster risk reduction. Substantial assistance was provided to the population and communities. Many citizens received these funds and were able to solve their problems. In some areas, riverbank retaining walls have been built and restored,” Albert Haroyan noted.
He noted that legal and regulatory changes are also being made by the government to improve the disaster risk management system. Armenia actively participates in international environmental conventions, but according to Haroyan, these initiatives have not yet been sufficiently localized at the community level. He suggested that nature-based solutions should play a primary role in strategic and urban planning-particularly for managing water flows and droughts.
“From a governance pyramid perspective, the government is initiating certain legislative and support measures aimed at climate change mitigation and risk reduction. The issue is now shifting to the community level, which is still weak; communities and regional administrations must receive or find support to implement all this at the local level and align their programs with risk reduction and management, as well as climate change mitigation actions,” he emphasized.
In the context of climate security, steps aimed at reducing carbon emissions are especially important. According to Albert Haroyan, the government has implemented subsidy programs for the installation of solar panels, which promote both energy independence and emission reduction. “The residents and businesses of Dilijan community are also starting to benefit from these programs, although the cost of solar technologies remains relatively high given the socio-economic capabilities of regional residents. Through combined efforts and various forms of support, residents can participate in the implementation of strategic programs and begin using new technologies. The issue here is making these technologies more accessible for ordinary residents—they should not be astronomically expensive. Although there are percentage discounts and nearly interest-free loans for installing solar stations in the regions, the product is still not affordable considering Armenia’s socio-economic situation,” he said.
According to Albert Haroyan, resident participation and the adoption of new technologies can play a significant role in mitigating climate change. “Climate change has led residents to increasingly adopt solar alternative energy for financial and environmental reasons. In my view, this will ease the pressure on forests. If a situation arises where energy prices fluctuate, solar energy can serve as a buffer ‘cushion,’ which in turn will have a chain impact on nature conservation,” he stated.
May 12, 2025 at 16:19