Action Research and pilot projects on mitigation of climate change in the settlements of the Marmarik River Valley (Armenia, Kotayk Marz)

This project within the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign affairs (FDFA) research programme “Environment and Security” contributes to action research on community energy and natural resource management in Armenia and Georgia. This recent research phase (2018 – 2019) is focused on methodological adaptation and institutional development.

People in remote rural or mountain regions of Armenia and Georgia feel that their local situation is not sufficiently addressed.

To address this gap the FDFA programme “Environment and Security” with this specific project for the Caucasus South region seeks to supports bottom-up approaches on natural resources management – here with focus energy – including local transboundary institutional exchange and development. Program is jointly implemented by “Khazer” Ecological and Cultural NGO of Armenia, “Green Movement” NGO of Georgia and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at University of Bern, Switzerland and partner State Universities of Yerevan and Tbilisi.

The overall aim is to foster locally based environmental cooperation by establishing a sustainable partnership between researchers, villagers, and experts across the border.

The goal of the project was to study the settlements of the Marmarik river watershed basin watershed basin area and implement pilot projects.

These are Aghavnadzor, Meghradzor, Marmarik and Artavaz villages, as well as Vanatur and Jrarat settlements within Hrazdan urban community