Newswise — An IUPUI administrator's novel scheme for replenishing forests in the Republic of Armenia while simultaneously fighting poverty in the former Soviet Union, is one of the world's best environmental projects.
The Backyard Nursery Project, designed and initiated in Armenia by Ian McIntosh, Ph.D., is the recipient of a national ENERGY GLOBE Award for Sustainability. The award-winning project involves the creation of micro-businesses " backyard tree nurseries " to meet reforestation needs, combat deforestation by reducing reliance on trees for fuel, and boost income among some of Armenia's poorest citizens.
From 2002-2004, McIntosh, now IUPUI's director of international partnerships, served in Armenia as deputy country director of the Yerevan-based Armenia Tree Project. There " along with forester George Nercessian " McIntosh, an applied anthropologist, spearheaded the Backyard Nursery Project.
ENERGY GLOBE Awards recognize extraordinary environmental projects that conserve and protect resources or use renewable energy. An international winner is chosen in each of five categories: water, earth, fire, air and youth. National award winners are the best in their respective countries. A gala ceremony honoring all ENERGY GLOBE winners took place Monday (May 26, 2008) at the Plenary Hall of the European Parliament in Brussels.
McIntosh's project, a collaboration with villagers in Aygut in northern Armenia's Getik River valley, has involved the creation of more than 400 backyard tree nurseries and the planting of more than one million trees in Armenia's denuded forests.
Following the fall of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of war with Azerbaijan, Armenia's oil and natural gas supplies were slashed. The country's forests took a major blow as citizens turned to trees as a source for heating and cooking fuel.
"So rapid was the loss of tree cover when the oil and gas supplies from Azerbaijan were cut that Armenia was facing desertification within 20 years," McIntosh said. "And with the loss of trees came the loss of top soil, the spoiling of rivers and other fresh water supplies, and erosion on a massive scale, threatening to destroy the infrastructure " roads, train lines, even whole towns - of the young Armenian nation."
The Aygut villagers, victims of ethnic cleansing during the war with Azerbaijan over the contested province of Nagorno Karabakh, were contracted to grow trees in the tiny fertile spaces they had available in their backyards. The families involved, some of the nation's poorest, have doubled their annual income through the program. "It was no easy decision for them," McIntosh said. "How much land could they spare to grow trees for monetary reward, and how much land was essential for the growing of precious food to last them through the long Armenian winter?"
Although many households initially were not prepared to take the risk, the model has proven to be very successful. A number of other Getik River valley villages as well as villages elsewhere in the Caucasus have adopted the project.Officials of Armenian Tree Project accepted the ENERGY GLOBE award during Monday's gala which was broadcast around the world.
For additional details on the awards, visit http://www.energyglobe.com/en/energy-globe-award .
RSS