Heating Energy and Rural Households in Armenia
GAtES
Date:
26 May 2021
Description:
About the Event
The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, University of Hohenheim and GIZ are jointly organizing public talks on the “Heating Energy and Rural Households in Armenia.” The event will feature presentations by Alyssa Bougie, University of Hohenheim and Siranush Galstyan, GIZ, ECOserve Environmental Programme as well as a Q&A session. The presentations will take place on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 3-4 PM AMT, 1-2 PM CET via Zoom. English to Armenian simultaneous interpretation will be provided.
Description of the first presentation
Title: Energy Cultures in Rural Armenia: Examining Heating and Cooking Fuel Use from a Gendered Perspective
Presenter: Alyssa Bougie
What influences how rural Armenian communities use different heating and cooking fuels? Alyssa Bougie’s talk examines just that, using a concept known as the energy culture framework. Bougie will present her findings on the material culture, practices, norms, and external influences present in the Lori, Shirak, and Kotayk marzes. She will explore the role of gender, environmental attitudes, and perceived health impacts on energy behaviors. In addition, she will suggest inclusive ways to support rural communities in transitioning to cleaner, fairer, and more affordable energies.
The presentation is organized within the “German-Armenian Network on the Advancement of Public Participation GIS for Ecosystem Services as a Means for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development (GAtES)” project. The project is financed through DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, with funds from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
About the Speaker
Alyssa Bougie is a Graduate Landscape Ecology student from the University of Hohenheim. She completed her thesis within the GAtES project. She comes from Canada, but has lived in Germany and India. Alyssa is passionate about cross-cultural research on climate, biodiversity, and social justice, and is particularly interested in exploring how people can work with nature for the betterment of society. She loves to work with participatory approaches that can provide insight on peoples’ beliefs and thoughts. Since completing her thesis, Alyssa has moved to Canada’s North, where she puts her passions to work, facilitating community conservation planning with Indigenous peoples.
Description of the second presentation
Title: Sustainable Rural Household Energy to Protect the Forests of Armenia: Highlights and Practical Experiences from ECOserve Programme
Presenter: Siranush Galstyan, GIZ, ECOserve Environmental Programme, Adviser
One of the ECOserve programme components deals with energy efficiency and alternative energy approaches at rural household level to reduce or substitute the use of fuelwood (and dung) for heating. In the framework of the programme, a number of studies have been implemented and a pilot intervention is ongoing in 5 selected pilot communities in Lori, Shirak, and Kotayk marzes of Armenia. In cooperation between GAtES and ECOserve, a socio-economic survey was implemented to identify the rural household heating practices, preferences, and perspectives. The promotion of energy efficiency and alternative energy in rural areas can reduce the use of fuelwood and protect the forests of Armenia. It requires intersectoral coordination at national level and engagement of all relevant stakeholders.
The programme “Management of natural resources and safeguarding of ecosystem services for sustainable rural development in the South Caucasus” (ECOserve) is implemented by GIZ jointly with the partners: Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Economy of Armenia.
About the Speaker
Siranush Galstyan has been working in international cooperation for more than 15 years in the fields of natural resource management, biodiversity, forests, and related topics. At present, as an Advisor in GIZ’s ECOserve environmental programme, she deals with the topics of energy in rural areas linked to the use of natural resources with particular focus on protection of forests. She has MSc in Environmental Sciences and Policy, and has also completed the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme for nature conservation professionals and leaders.
Speaker Info:
Siranush Galstyan, Alyssa Bougie
Type:
Public talks
Social Media Links:
As far as I remember, it has been recorded. Gohar Shahinyan shall have it.
