National Initiative Group of Armenia

NIGs’ (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) goal is to promote scientifically justified policy and decision making in the fields of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Overall Susutainable Mountain Development (SMD) throughout the Caucasus with the active involvement of academic, civil and private organizations. Main activities are: Identification of priority issues including needs and challenges; Coordination and information exchange between member organizations; Advocacy to ensure science-based decision making. Moreover, Regional Initiative Group (RIG) represented by all the national NIGs, i.e. Co-chairs of NIGs, is focused on tackling the problems at the regional level.

National Initiative Group of Armenia (NIG Armenia) is an alliance comprised of scientific, civil and private organizations interested and working among others in the fields of Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Climate Change Adaptation (CCA)  and Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD

NIG Armenia was established in terms of the project Strengthening the Climate Adaptation Capacities in the South Caucasus (SCAC) implemented by the Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (Sustainable Caucasus). Currently, NIG Armenia unites around 17 representatives from various academic, non-governmental and/or private organizations and individual members

NIG Armenia is responsible for advocacy of the science-policy interface strengthening and C-RRA promotion and selected  topic by the First Meeting of NIG Armenia for the next years’ work is the Socio-Economic Development and Planning. NIG Armenia elected co-chairs for the following two years: Aram Gabrielyan (Khazer NGO, Scientific Adviser) Hayk Igityan (Georisk Scientific Research Company, DRR Specialist)

NIG Armenia members are as follows: Ministry of  Emergency Situations; Ministry of Environment; Crisis Management State Academy of  MES; Armenian State Pedagogical University; Yerevan State University; American University of Armenia;  National Academy of Science Institutes  like as : Center for Ecological Noosphere Studies, Institute of Geological Sciences and Institute of Botany after Takhtajyan; Georisk Scientific Research Company; Biodiversity and Landscapes Conservation NGO; Public Awareness and monitoring  NGO; Khazer NGO; National Platphorm for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR); UNDP; GIZ; Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).

Co-Chairs:

Hayk Igityan is a specialist of Geology, Geohazard and Risk Reduction, Geodynamics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) at the Institute of Geological Sciences of National Academy of Sciences RA, a specialist at “Georisk” Scientific-Research Company. In 2016, he completed a PhD in Geology. In 2019, he was granted certificate on <>, Geneva University. From 2014 to 2015 he was engineer geologist at Yerevan State University, Faculty of Geography and Geology. Since 2012 he has been working at the Institute of Geological Sciences National Academy of Sciences, RA and “Georisk” Scientific-Research Company, focusing on geohazard hazard mapping and risk reduction. He was a member of organizational committees of more than 10 international scientific conferences and more than 20 scientific projects at the UNDP, World Bank, ISTC Foundation, Armenian Academy of Science, The Armenian Scientific Foundation.

Aram Gabrielyan PhD in Physics and Mathematics,  Thesis defended: "Spectroscopic Research of Gas Impurities of the Atmosphere". Former National Director of the UNDP/GEF regional project “Capacity Building for Improving the Quality of Greenhouse Gas Inventories in Europe and CIS Region” (2001-2003) and National coordinator of the regional project “EU Technical Assistance to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova with respect to their Global Climate Change Commitments” Regional Project.  He was  a Board member/adviser of the REC Caucasus regional project “ Identification and implementation of Adaptation Response to Climate Change Impact for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agro-Biodiversity in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecosystems of South Caucasus” (2011-2014).  An author of 14 scientific publications in the field of physics of atmosphere, air pollution and  climate change. Member of following professional  bodies : 1998-2017 - “UN Framework Convention on Climate Change” National Focal Point for Armenia, negotiator ; 2014-2017 – Green Climate Fund National Contact Person for Armenia; “Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution“ Convention Head of  Armenian Delegation, 1997;  Scientific Board Member of Yerevan Zoo and  Khazer” Environmental and Cultural NGO Board Member and Scientific Adviser.