ArmInfo.On February 25, the UNICEF Youth for Climate Action was launched in Armenia, funded by the Austrian Development Agency in cooperation with the ministries of education, science, culture and sports, the environment, territorial administration and infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia. The program is designed for 2019-2022.
UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia Shombi Sharp emphasized the importance of government participation in the implementation of the program and highlighted the need to develop innovative solutions with partners to address climate change issues, which is one of the goals of sustainable development.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia Artur Martirosyan, welcoming the participants, noted that one of the main issues at the stage of revising state standards and the strategy of general education is to educate the generation with the ability to mitigate the risks associated with climate change. "Since this large-scale program covers about a third of schools, and the children have to implement the programs themselves as participants, this already means that they will acquire the skills of working together and developing programs, which is also a priority in the general education system. We look forward to an interested partnership", the deputy minister said.
Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Irina Kaplanyan noted that climate change is already noticeable in Armenia, and water is becoming an increasingly important resource every year. "This year we will implement a very ambitious program. 10 million trees will be planted, and it is important that young people join this initiative, "she said.
Within the framework of the project, UNICEF will work with 52 large communities of Armenia to educate 28 thousand young men and women on climate change issues, working with 2470 teachers and school administrators to improve school curricula. The participation of 530 territorial authorities is planned.