Key Project: Rural Livelihood programme / CEPF

In partnership with The Fund for Biodiversity Conservation of Armenian Highland and with the support of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), WWF Armenia is spearheading an effort to promote alternative livelihood in rural communities through small grant mechanism, focused on six local communities located around the protected areas in southern Armenia: Shikahogh Reserve (existing), and Arevik and Zangezur protected areas (planned).

Syunik region in southernmost Armenia is characterized by diverse landscape and biodiversity. It is the richest region in Armenia by its landscape and biological diversity. Several types of biotopes are found here such as desert, semi desert, mountain steppe, open juniper woodland, forest and subalpine/alpine meadows which support great diversity of plant and animal species.

Syunik region occupies 15% of Armenia’s territory, but holds only 4.3% of its population. In spite of being located in the strategic position of junction between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran and having rich natural resources and industrial potential, it remains to be one of the least populated and economically poorest provinces in the country due to the following main reasons:

Remoteness from the capital Yerevan;
Absence of transportation means;
Lack of resources for local communities to establish small scale business.

As a result Syunik is characterized by high rates of unemployment and emigration as well as low population growth.

There are close links between biodiversity and socio-economic issues in the region. Natural habitats and biodiversity have been key factors supporting various branches of economy, particularly agriculture and tourism, as well as providing raw materials for many industries, including food production.

The combination of economic crisis, unemployment and poverty has severely affected biodiversity and natural resources. At local level the need for survival has changed attitudes towards natural resources, as wild plants and animals became an important source of food and other materials.

As a result, recently the levels of poaching, illegal logging, unsustainable resource use and other impacts have increased significantly.

Project Objectives

The main goal of the project is to improve biodiversity conservation in southern Armenia through smoothing the conflict between communities and protected areas by stimulating alternative livelihood for local communities located close to protected areas.

The project objectives are as follows:

To promote alternative livelihood for 6 local communities;
To train communities in specific types of income generating activities;
To raise community awareness around biodiversity protection issues and involve them in the management of protected areas.
To build on the Ecoregional Conservation Plan

The project will be carried out in Syunik region in southern Armenia, with the full support of the regional and local government and in the following communities:

Shikahogh village - located near Shikahogh Reserve in the northern slopes of Meghri Mountain Ridge;
Tsav village - located near Shikahogh Reserve in the northern slopes of Meghri Mountain Ridge;
Aldara village - located near the planned Arevik specially protected nature area (SPNA) on the southern slopes of Meghri Mountain Ridge;
Shvanidzor village - located near the planned Arevik SPNA on the southern slopes of Meghri MountainRridge;
Nrnadzor village - located near the planned Arevik SPNA on the southern slopes of Meghri Mountain Ridge;
Kajaran village - located near the planned Zangezur SPNA on the north-eastern slopes of Zangezur Mountain Ridge.

Programs aim at the creation of alternative income for local communities that will in turn reduce their dependence on the consumption of natural resources. Alternative means of income generation have been elaborated through close collaboration with the heads of councils of these 6 communities.

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