In September, a team from the Czech organization Arnika visited Armenia. Together with the “Center for Community Mobilization and Support” (CCMS) and “EcoLur” Informational NGO, Arnika is implementing “Ecological Transformation of Mining Areas in Armenia” project, funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
Arnika works on issues related to chemical pollution and safety, promoting the transition toward environmentally friendly, clean, and health-safe practices. The organization is a member of several international networks. Alongside Armenia, Arnika has worked in Georgia, Thailand, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine. In Armenia, Arnika is sharing Czech experience in the ecological transformation of industrial zones with local communities.
“Our project focuses on the Syunik and Lori regions, because local residents and activists there have raised demands to identify the extent of industrial pollution,” said Gregorii Malyukov, Coordinator of “Ecological Transformation of Mining Areas in Armenia” project.
Arnika’s experts collect samples and biomaterials that are examined in certified laboratories in the Czech Republic. “Our philosophy is that pollution has no borders. We look at the future from a global perspective,” noted Gregorii Malyukov.
Arnika’s co-founder and environmental expert, Jindřich Petrlík, emphasized that the organization has been working in Armenia since 2010. “Whenever we come to another country to conduct research, we always collaborate with local civil society organizations. We have the opportunity to send samples to independent laboratories not only in the Czech Republic but also in Germany or the Netherlands. Not all countries have access to such opportunities,” Jindřich Petrlík noted.
In the mining regions of Syunik and Lori, Arnika’s experts met with local residents and active representatives of civil society, learned about their problems, and discussed international experience in the green transformation of industrial areas.
Further details will be presented in EcoLur’s upcoming publications.
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic under Transformation Cooperation Programme․
October 02, 2025 at 16:17