The team of “EcoLur” Informational NGO recently met with representatives of the local self-government and residents of Sevqar, a village in Tavush Region. EcoLur’s expert Roza Julhakyan presented Armenia’s state climate policy and the role of communities in implementing this policy. In turn, the participants spoke about the socio-economic issues and climate challenges in the village.
“If we compare the weather conditions to those of 10 years ago, our winters are no longer the same. Now it has gotten quite a bit warmer. It used to be snowier, with more precipitation, but over these years it has gradually decreased, and this affects nature. We have fir trees in the village. Last year they were drying out. This year there has been a lot of precipitation, so maybe it will have a favorable effect and the trees won’t dry out,” said Gayane Varshamyan, the librarian at Sevqar library.
The main problem in Sevqar is the lack of water.
“We have no irrigation water at all. It has to be brought from outside. We used to have the Joghaz pond. After the war, it’s no longer there. The stream in our village is just a small stream. We don’t have a single meter of irrigated land. That’s why we have no orchards, only household plots. We ‘steal’ a little from the tap water, do less laundry, and that’s how we water the household plots. The main occupations are livestock breeding, field farming, and seasonal work abroad,” said a representative of the local self-government.
Apart from water scarcity, the impossibility of fertilizing the land is also an obstacle to agricultural development in Sevqar.
“Sowing has decreased, and from one hectare of plowed land we barely get 10–15 centners of harvest. We sow wheat and barley. There is no yield; it doesn’t pay off. Last year we sowed 160–170 hectares, and this year only 60 hectares. People don’t sow anymore. We have no irrigation and no fertilization. Nitrogen or phosphate fertilizers are very expensive; people can’t afford them. That’s why we don’t sow,” the residents said.
Naturally fertilizing the soil is also expensive:
“Fertilizing the land involves big expenses. Transporting manure to the fields is a problem. To fertilize one hectare of land you need 40 tons of manure. Transporting those 40 tons of manure is a big problem. You have to own everything yourself. We have a farmer who has both the equipment and the loaders and the trucks. He fertilizes his fields organically,” they added.
During the meeting, the use of alternative energy sources in the village was also discussed. Residents noted that the alternative to gas is using wood from the forest. The use of solar energy is still not widespread in their village; only a few install solar panels.
“For now, people here don’t use them that actively. Out of 650 residents, maybe 5–10 use solar panels; the rest use gas or electricity,” the residents said.
Despite Sevqar’s rich nature and historical-cultural structures, there is no necessary infrastructure for tourism development.
“Tourism is not developing,” the residents said.
Gayane Varshamyan noted that “State Housing Support Program for Border Villages” currently being implemented in the village could contribute to tourism development.
“Sevqar has beautiful nature; tourism can be developed. Now there’s a program. The state provides funding and supports people to build houses. Maybe these houses will become guesthouses, and tourism will develop. Visitors from outside can come here to rest and have a place to stay. Until now, if we wanted people to come to the village, there was no place to stay — we didn’t have guesthouses,” Gayane noted.
The young people present at the meeting noted that they are trying to raise awareness among fellow villagers about the impacts of climate change.
“We have organized tree planting on the school grounds. We are doing project work, have prepared books, environmental leaflets, and distributed them to residents. We have held environmental seminars at school with students from different grades,” they said.
June 17, 2025 at 14:32