Women Foster Regional Cooperation, Environmental Stewardship
A small town and copper mining site in the north of Armenia, Akhtala is situated on the left bank of the Debed River, which streams its waters to Georgia feeding the Kura, the largest watercourse in the South Caucasus. Nestled in this picturesque location, Akhtala faces major environmental issues due to the copper mining pollution and untreated sewage. Not surprisingly, the pollution of the trans-boundary Debed-Kura basin has become a critical issue for the South Caucasus, as the water is used in households, as well as for hydropower and irrigation.
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“I realized that we all – Armenians, Azeris, and Georgians – share many of the same problems, though we live in different countries. We all have aspirations for a peaceful and healthy future for our families and communities, and we, as women, need to do more to lead our communities to that goal,” said advocate Armenuhi Aghababyan
Photo Credit: South Caucasus Water Program |
According to municipality data, around 60 percent of Akhtala’s 3,035 residents are unemployed, with women comprising the majority. Women in Akhtala are neither well represented in the town’s administration nor involved in discussions on water management and pollution mitigation matters. To address this common issue in the region – and to encourage women’s participation in local government and resource management decision-making – USAID’s South Caucasus Water Program, which aims to increase regional cooperation in managing shared water resources, united 18 women from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in Tbilisi, where they received training on effective water management and community mobilization.
Armenuhi Aghababyan, one of the program participants, is an Akhtala native and a teacher of Russian at the local secondary school. She says it was the first time she attended a regional training of this nature. “It was an unforgettable and exciting experience that has changed my views. I never thought of water resources as shared wealth, and how important women’s role is in protecting this resource,” Aghababyan said.
Upon return to Akhtala, Aghababyan initiated environmental lessons at school, reaching out to the 300 boys and girls comprising her student body. She has also raised environmental discussions in the community and conducted two workshops to share her knowledge from the training. With a smile, Armenuhi notes: “Thanks to the USAID training, elements of gender and environment as well as ideas of regional cooperation are entering the school and larger Akhtala community.”
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