Sevqar is one of the forest-side villages of Ijevan. Residents here are mainly engaged in farming, animal husbandry, and beekeeping. Rosehips, wild pears, blackberries and blackberries are also collected wildly from the forest as a source of income.
Climate change exerted a negative impact on the agricultural activities of the village.
The local residents told about the problems during their meeting with EcoLur within the framework of " Living Landscapes for Market Development in Armenia" (LILA) project.
The goal of the LILA project is to ensure the living conditions of the rural population through the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in the mountain ecosystems of Armenia. The project will promote the development of tourism, reducing dependence on agriculture and animal husbandry.
Within the framework of LILA, a solar plant was installed on the roof of Sevqar dispensary, which provides the building's electricity and heating. As part of the project, a pasture management plan will be developed for the village.
At the meeting, residents mentioned that the climate in the village has changed. "10-15 years ago, there were severe winters, there was a lot of snow, we didn't manage to clean the yards. In recent years, the winter is short, it snows for 2-3 weeks, and there is a dry winter," residents said.The village has no irrigation water, they rely on rainwater. According to Anahit Gulnazaryan, Director of Sevqar outpatient clinic, the climate of the village is not favorable for agriculture. "We can’t harvest whatever we cultivate one year because of hails and another year because of unfavorable rains. The crop is not growing well." The number of cattle is also decreasing year by year.
Gayane Varshamyan, Head of Sevqar library, mentioned the problems of beekeeping. "Our village was famous for beekeeping. But year by year the bees decreased, they started to grow badly because of diseases or some other staff, I don’t know. One or two out of 100 hives have been left, which are not reproduced," she said.
The lack of jobs in the countryside has caused marriages to decline. "For 10-15 years, the birth rate has decreased by 50 percent. They don't get married until they are 40 years old. The main reason is lack of work. They don’t know how to support a family," Dispensary Head Anahit Gulnazaryan outlined.
They also emphasized the development of tourism. "Tourism will contribute to the socio-economic development of the village. Guest houses will be established here, people coming from abroad will get to know the color and cuisine of our village," the residents said. Tourists will be able to enjoy nature, visit the 17th century church and Darpas village in Sevqar, which was the original settlement of the village.
February 01, 2024 at 16:57