Agenda

AGENDA

Sunday, October 20, 2019
3:00 – 5:00 pm    Panelist and moderator meetings at Grand Hotel Yerevan
5:00 – 7:00 pm    Welcome Reception and Registration at Grand Hotel Yerevan
Monday, October 21, 2019
8:15 am Meet at Singing Fountains in Republic Square
8:30 am Buses depart to Dilijan National Park
10:00 am Dilijan National Park
12:00 noon Lunch at Ureni Restaurant, Dilijan
02:30 pm Margahovit Forest, Tree Nursery, Environmental Education Center
Estimated time of arrival back to Yerevan, 6:30 pm.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Venue: American University of Armenia, Paramaz Avedisian Building, first floor, Manoogian Hall, (AUA) (40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. Yerevan, Republic of Armenia)
8:30 am Registration Opens at the American University of Armenia
10:00 am Opening Session
– Welcome remarks, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, Alen Amirkhanian
– Welcome remarks, Armenia Tree Project, Jeanmarie Papelian
– RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
10:45 am Keynote Speaker
Topic:
Armenia’s Future and Forests
Speaker:
Anthony Davis, Interim Dean and Professor, College of Forestry, Oregon State University
11:30 am Break
12:00 noon Panel 1
Topic: Key Challenges and Opportunities for Armenia to Protect and Increase its Forest Coverage: Institutional, Human, and Technical Aspects

Panelists:
– Vardan Melikyan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Environment
– Hovik Sayadyan, Technical Task Leader, UNDP Armenia
– Vahe Matsakyan, Acting Head, Armenian Forest Service (Hayantar)
– Aram Gyulkhasyan, Acting Director, Forest Monitoring Center, Ministry of Environment
– Mikayel Santrosyan, Head, Department of Flora Monitoring, RA Environmental and Mining Inspection Body
– Vardan Urutyan, Rector, National Agrarian University of Armenia
Moderator: Alen Amirkhanian, Director, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment
1:30 pm Lunch at AUA
2:15 pm Panel 2
Topic: Rural Energy Demand, Poverty, and Forest Conservation: How to Make Progress on All Fronts

Panelists:
– Robert Ghukasyan, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia on Community Development
– Astghine Pasoyan, Director, Foundation for Energy Savings (FAO, GIZ, UNDP expert)
– Hayk Chobanyan, Governor of Tavush Marz
– Lusine Avetisyan, Head, Department of Environmental Strategic Programs and Monitoring, RA Ministry of Environment
– Samvel Tamoyan, Candidate of Science, Docent, Chair of Forestry and Agri-Ecology, Armenian National Agrarian University
– Artur Alaverdyan, Yerevan State University
– Hovhannes Ghazaryan, National Coordinator, UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme
Moderator: Alen Amirkhanian, Director, AUA Acopian Center for the Environment
3:30 pm Panel 3
Topic:
Forestry-Sector Initiatives Supported by International Organizations: A Critical Overview of Impacts and Gaps
Panelists:
– Vardan Melikyan, Deputy Minister of Environment
– Hrayr Yesayan, Head, Division of Financial Planning of Current Programs in Real Sector, RA Ministry of Finance
– Armen Gevorgyan, Country Representative, Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (Sustainable Caucasus)
– Karen Manvelyan, Director, WWF-Armenia (WB-IUCN FLEG Program)
– Jason Sohigian, Deputy Director, Armenia Tree Project
Moderator: Dmitry Mariyasin, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
4:45 pm Break
5:00 pm Panel 4
Topic: Special Focus on Biodiversity Conservation including Invasive Species and the Challenges They Raise for Armenia’s Forests
Panelists:
– Georgi Fayvush, Institute of Botany, RA National Academy of Sciences
– Hasmik Khachatryan, Deputy Director, Institute of Zoology, RA National Academy of Sciences
– Siranush Nanagyulyan, Head of Chair, Faculty of Biology – Chair of Botany and Mycology, Yerevan State University
– Alla Aleksanyan, Institute of Botany, RA National Academy of Sciences
– Marine Arakelyan, Zoology Chair, Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University
– Samvel Baloyan, Deputy Director, Environmental PIU, RA Ministry of Environment
Moderator: Siranush Galstyan, Adviser, GIZ Environmental Program
6:15 pm Close of Day 1
7:30 pm Dinner Reception at Kantegh Restaurant (7/1 Zakyan St, Yerevan 0010)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Venue: American University of Armenia, Paramaz Avedisian Building, first floor, Manoogian Hall, (AUA) (40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. Yerevan, Republic of Armenia)
8:30 am Coffee & Networking at AUA
9:00 am Panel Session
Topic: Financing Mechanisms for Forest Conservation, Restoration and Afforestation
Panelists:
– Irina Ghaplanyan, Deputy Minister, RA Ministry of Environment
– Carmen ArguelloLopez, Green Climate Fund Advisor for FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia
– Alain Retiere, Cap2100 International [to be confirmed]
– Diana Harutyunyan, Climate Change Programme Coordinator, UNDP
– Glenn Bush, Assistant Scientist, Woods Hole Research Center
Moderator: Vahagn Voskanyan, Impact Investment Advisor, UNDP
10:00 am Speaker
Topic: Afforestation and Reforestation in Semi-Arid Landscapes – The Israeli Perspective
Speaker: Dr. Omri Bonneh, Interim Chief Forester, KKL-JNF
10:45 am Break
11:00 am Speaker
Topic: Green Belt Movement and the Kenyan Forest Governance Success – Mobilizing Communities
Speaker: Mr. David Mathenge, Green Belt Movement, Kenya
11:45 am Speaker
Topic: Lebanese Reforestation Initiative: Success in Steering the Policy Sail
Speaker: Dr. Maya Nehme, Executive Director, Lebanon Reforestation Initiative
12:30 noon Break + Lunchette 
1:00 pm Parallel Sessions
Parallel Panel 1 (Akian Gallery, American University of Armenia Paramaz Avedisian Building)
Topic: The Role of the IT Sector and Technological Innovation in Forest Conservation and Restoration
Panelists:
– Levon Melikyan, Deputy Head, RA Cadastre Committee
– Arman Avagyan, Deputy Director, RA Forest Monitoring Center
– David Kocharov, VP, Synergy, National Information System for Forestry and Wildlife (MC-SNIFFS)
– Arman Vermishyan, Representative Office Director, Caucasus Nature Fund-Armenia
– Peter Langdahl, Project Officer, Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
– Guy Hydrick, GIS Administrator, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston, Massachusetts
Moderator: Yeva Danielyan, Forest Monitoring Center, RA Ministry of Environment

Parallel Panel 2 (Room 208E, American University of Armenia Paramaz Avedisian Building)
Topic: Nurseries and Commercial Forestry – Prospects in Armenia
Panelists:
– Ruben Petrosyan, Advisor to Head of RA Forest Committee
– Hasmik Khurshudyan, Head, Chair of Forestry and Agri-Ecology, Armenian National Agrarian University
– Anahit Ghukasyan, Director, Institute of Botany, RA National Academy of Sciences
– Arthur Harutyunyan, Operations Manager, Armenia Tree Project
– Ruben Khachatryan, Founder, Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets
– Samvel Tamoyan, Candidate of Science, Docent, Chair of Forestry and Agri-Ecology, Armenian National Agrarian University
Moderator: Anthony Davis, Oregon State University

Parallel Panel 3 (Manoogian Hall, American University of Armenia Paramaz Avedisian Building)
Topic: Forest Fire Safety and Wildfire Management – Policy and Strategic Considerations
Panelists:
– Sargis Kyureghyan, Head of the Fire-Rescue Preparation Division of the Rescue Forces Department, the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations
– Vardan Manucharyan, Head, Department of Normative and Technical Document Supervision, RA Urban Development, Technical Standards, and Fire Safety Inspection Body
– Ashot Sargsyan, International expert on Disaster Risk Reduction
– Sasun Manukyan, Head, Kapan Forest Enterprise
– Dennis Fiore, Fire Management Specialist, US Forest Service
– Satenik Mnatsakanyan, Chair, Engineering Sciences, AUA; Coordinator of AUA’s EU Horizon 2020 RESPONDRONE Project
– Peter Dekkers, Director of Strategic Business Development, Fire Solutions, FLIR Netherlands
Moderator: Georgi Arzumanyan, Programme Policy Adviser, Sustainable Growth and Resilience Portfolio UNDP
2:15 pm Closing Plenary and Key Takeaways
Venue: American University of Armenia, Paramaz Avedisian Building, first floor, Manoogian Hall, (AUA) (40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. Yerevan, Republic of Armenia)
2:45 pm Buses Depart from American University of Armenia for the following field trips:
Option 1. Open House at ATP’s Tree Nursery in Karin Village
Option 2. Tour of Garni Temple and Geghard Monastery
Option 3. Environmental Tour of Lake Sevan
Option 4. Student and Young Leaders Summit
Venue: American University of Armenia, Paramaz Avedisian Building, first floor, Manoogian Hall, (AUA) (40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. Yerevan, Republic of Armenia)

 

Dilijan National Park © Hakob Hovhannisyan