Viva-MTS, FPWC further developing Armenia eco-village network

PanARMENIAN.Net - With the joint efforts of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife & Cultural Assets (FPWC), another 4 streets – 2300m in length– were illuminated in the village of Arpi in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor province. As many as 60 energy-efficient lamps were installed.

The outcomes of the project are well-defined and have a long-term impact. The project will help the community save finances, lead to infrastructure development and help mitigate the human-wildlife conflict of the village.

The last two months of summer were quite busy and tense for the residents of Arpi. The villagers had to replace each other every night on duty in order to alarm and protect their peers and children whenever bears entered the village as wild animals “targeted” the darkest section of the village.

Due to the project, the dark spots of the village are now illuminated and will prevent possible encounters with wild animals in the future.

The modern illuminating system was launched with the participation of Viva-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, Director of FPWC Ruben Khachatryan, the Head of Areni community Husik Sahakyan, the Head of Arpi village Gagik Hovsepyan, and residents of the community.

“Everything that we do in the frame of this project has a vital importance. We try to change the mindset that allows for a ruthless exploitation of natural resources. This is crucial for the generations to come. People appreciate the most obvious impact of the project once it is implemented in its first stage: they see brightly illumination streets. The environmental, social, and economic efficiency the project offers becomes tangible after some while, especially where its second stage gets implemented. This adds to the opportunity to stay outside safely in late evening hours. Those kinds of things help change people’s mindset and look for alternative perspectives of development,” Viva-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

The eco-village network project was launched in Arpi village in 2018. With the first stage of the project, the main streets of the village were provided with outdoor lighting. The lighting system had 51 LED lamps illuminating 2 km of road. Thus, as a result of the two-stage project and with the joint efforts of the partners and active participation of Areni local administration, as many as 111 LED lights were installed in the village of Arpi and 4300 meter of road illuminated.

Viva-MTS and FPWC think that the newest technologies play a vital role in nature protection, community development and energy-efficacy of communities.

The installation of energy-efficient outdoor lighting system in remote settlements rich in biodiversity is one of the progressive steps towards creating the eco-village network in Armenia. Through such projects, remote villages of Armenia are integrated into a development process based on four components of environmental, economic, cultural and social sustainability.

The eco- friendly and energy efficient LED lights consume 80% less electricity and serve about 50 times longer. The streets of the village will be illuminated until 01:00 am. During holidays, the outdoor lighting will be provided throughout the night.