Key Project: Clean Up Armenia from South to North

Recognized as one of the cradles of civilization, Armenia is a rich and beautiful country with its picturesque landscapes and ancient cultural sites, including over 40,000 historical landmarks with masterpieces from the Hellenic period and Middle Ages. These cultural sites and natural settings are attracting more and more tourists, from Armenia and abroad.

The mountainous natural caves and cliffs of the Southeast region are also of particular cultural and historic value, with mountain trails and trekking sites available throughout the country. The gems of Armenia include the Tatev Monastery Complex (9th c. AD), the Garni Pagan Temple (1st c. AD), and the Warm Water - "Devil Bridge".

These destinations, set in breathtaking natural settings, are among the most beautiful historical miracles of Armenia and attract thousands of tourists each year.

As tourism continues to be a driving force for local economies, there is also a need to protect our natural heritage and landscapes by raising awareness around environmental issues. Reducing the amount of litter that tends to accumulate at these sites is one of the first steps that must be taken to protect our natural environment.

The WWF Armenia campaign, "Clean Up Armenia from South to North," aims to initiate the first nationwide trash collection campaign, in partnership with local communities.

Project Objectives

The main goal of the project is to raise awareness around environmental issues by initiating an ongoing trash collection campaign at key natural and cultural heritage sites.

The project objectives are as follows:

Clean up trash from natural and cultural heritage sites;
Raise awareness on environmental the footprint in our everyday lives;
Engage the public and local communities in the protection of nature and culture;
Maintain the trash collection efforts through community programs.

Project Outcomes

Make Armenia attractive for tourism by promoting the pureness and beauty of our natural and cultural heritage sites;
Lay a foundation for additional environmental activity in Armenia particularly focused on waste management and pollution reduction;
Build and promote a positive image around a new generation of dedicated environmental conservationists throughout the country.

WWF Armenia intends to initiate the "Clean Up Armenia from South to North" campaign in the period of October 4-14, 2007 (Oct 4 - Day of Animal Protection). This annual event will first be carried out with the support of the WWF network, as well as partners and supporters.

This year’s clean-up operations will take place in Southern Armenia (Ararat, Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions) but will be communicated at the local, regional and national levels by engaging communities, local administrations, private companies, NGOs, schoolchildren, students and other interested parties.

Waste bags with WWF logos and the panda T-shirts will be distributed to volunteers who will be recruited to help with the clean-up operations. Trash collection will be quantified for further communication (number of bags collected, type of waste, etc.) then disposed of properly.

In the areas where trash clean up has taken place, litter bins will be installed as well as specially-designed plates with messages related to proper trash disposal. Tourists will be encouraged to donate a service fee during their site visit, to help maintain trash management on an ongoing basis.

Clean-up operations will be widely covered by local and central media outlets (TV, radio, press) and will be accompanied by prize competitions among the campaign participants. 'Days of cleaning up Armenia' initiative will conclude with a joint WWF and partners press conference and open-air concert accompanied by awarding ceremony for winners-participants in the city of Yerevan.

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