Afforestation of Chambarak and Ttujur communities

This project aimed to implement an afforestation and forest management pilot plan on community-owned lands affected by deforestation, with the active involvement of two communities, Chambarak and Ttujur, which are located in the Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn states, respectively. It included the creation of mixed forest belts, the plantation of 21 hectares of trees, the modernisation of the irrigation system in Ttujur, and awareness raising of forest-related issues.

Chambarak is a mountainous settlement, with an average altitude of 1,860 metres. The village is characterised by a number of issues including the non-use of the agricultural lands, and the absence of horticulture and orchards, people being mainly engaged in cattle breeding, irregular grazing and unauthorized logging of neighbouring forests.

The surrounding forests have been used for more than 200 years for housing construction and domestic heating, which has caused considerable damage. Today, the Chambarak and its neighbourhood have no forest cover area.

Ttujur is located on the southwestern slope of the Tsaghkunyats mountains. Its average altitude is 1,970-2,100 metres. The main occupations of the population are cattle breeding and farming. The village is surrounded by mountains with understocked natural forests and forests that were planted during the Soviet period.

As in other regions of Armenia, the natural reproduction of forests has been disrupted due to the illegal logging and irregular pasture for many years. As a result, the forests have been thinned, with some of them becoming mere thickets. In addition, the lands have been exposed to erosion and the microclimate of the region has changed, which has considerably reduced the water resources.

This pilot afforestation project in Chambarak and Ttujur is a good example for future forest development initiatives. It facilitates the introduction of similar activities in other villages of Gegharkunik and Aragatsotn states.