Armenia to receive €23.208 million from KfW in grants
23.11.2018,
14:32
Armenia will receive €23.208 million from KfW, Germany’s Development Bank, in grants for eight years for protection of environment.
YEREVAN, November 23. /ARKA/. Armenia will receive €23.208 million from KfW, Germany’s Development Bank, in grants for eight years for protection of environment.
The signing of an appropriate agreement was approved Thursday at the Armenian government’s regular meeting.
The program will protect natural resources in the areas with rich bio diversity.
Erik Grigoryan, Armenian acting environment minister, said that the German partners will provide a €13-million grant to Armenia for protection of forests and bio variety. This is one of the biggest environmental grants of this bank in the world and the biggest grant in the region and also in Armenia’s history.
“The program is not limited to bio diversity and forests – it includes also social and economic development projects as well as eco tourism development projects,” he said.
In his words, many similar programs are being implemented in the southern part of Armenia also under Germany’s support.
”The programs can not only touch social area or environment, but to ease social and economic tension,” Grigoryan said. “We are implementing not only environmental programs, but also farming and community programs, which make it possible to increase communities’ income and pressure on environment.”
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on his side, put special emphasis on social and economic component of the program.
”For example, the programs we are implementing in Tavush province contain also this component,” he said. “In particular, support is provided to citizens in different provinces to deter them from cutting forests to earn money. Support is provided to them also in terms of entrepreneurship, to encourage them to have their income by establishing, for example, eco tourism facilities.”
Pashinyan said that Armenia today is one of the world’s areas with rich bio diversity, which is still under threat now because of social and economic problems.
He said that not only administrative resource should be used to protect environment, but it also necessary to give people a chance to earn money, if particular environmental matters are settled.
”The Armenian government is periodically make particular efforts to protect environment, for example, it imposes season restrictions on fishing in Lake Sevan and protect forests, and very often its steps are treated wrongly by residents,” Pashinyan said. “First of all, all this is being done for the sake of the residents of the area. It is necessary to understand their state and to try to solve the problems not by using administrative levers, but through a simple and direct dialogue.”
Pashinyan also said that a right management of bio variety will bring several times larger income than the cutting of forests. He said this strategy should be developed. -0---
The signing of an appropriate agreement was approved Thursday at the Armenian government’s regular meeting.
The program will protect natural resources in the areas with rich bio diversity.
Erik Grigoryan, Armenian acting environment minister, said that the German partners will provide a €13-million grant to Armenia for protection of forests and bio variety. This is one of the biggest environmental grants of this bank in the world and the biggest grant in the region and also in Armenia’s history.
“The program is not limited to bio diversity and forests – it includes also social and economic development projects as well as eco tourism development projects,” he said.
In his words, many similar programs are being implemented in the southern part of Armenia also under Germany’s support.
”The programs can not only touch social area or environment, but to ease social and economic tension,” Grigoryan said. “We are implementing not only environmental programs, but also farming and community programs, which make it possible to increase communities’ income and pressure on environment.”
Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on his side, put special emphasis on social and economic component of the program.
”For example, the programs we are implementing in Tavush province contain also this component,” he said. “In particular, support is provided to citizens in different provinces to deter them from cutting forests to earn money. Support is provided to them also in terms of entrepreneurship, to encourage them to have their income by establishing, for example, eco tourism facilities.”
Pashinyan said that Armenia today is one of the world’s areas with rich bio diversity, which is still under threat now because of social and economic problems.
He said that not only administrative resource should be used to protect environment, but it also necessary to give people a chance to earn money, if particular environmental matters are settled.
”The Armenian government is periodically make particular efforts to protect environment, for example, it imposes season restrictions on fishing in Lake Sevan and protect forests, and very often its steps are treated wrongly by residents,” Pashinyan said. “First of all, all this is being done for the sake of the residents of the area. It is necessary to understand their state and to try to solve the problems not by using administrative levers, but through a simple and direct dialogue.”
Pashinyan also said that a right management of bio variety will bring several times larger income than the cutting of forests. He said this strategy should be developed. -0---
