ArmInfo.The Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) will provide Armenia with a $3 million grant to implement a program to increase the resilience of rural households and improve food security in rural areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The draft agreement with the fund was approved at a meeting of the RA government on July 4.
As noted in the draft decision, the program is planned to be implemented in two regions of the country - Shirak and Tavush, where small farms face high levels of poverty and climate risks. Due to climate change, air temperatures in Armenia are expected to rise by 2.8+C by 2050, which will have a negative impact on women from vulnerable communities and entrepreneurs who will not be able to cope with the impact of climate change. According to the World Food Programme, female-headed households experience greater food insecurity than male-headed households. In the Shirak region, for example, 40.2% of households headed by women suffer from food insecurity, and in the Tavush region of the Republic of Armenia - 41.1%. For comparison: the same indicator for households headed by men in Shirak region was 28.7%, and in Tavush region - 27.5%. External shocks such as coronavirus and regional conflicts place additional burdens on households. In addition, as a result of the negative impact of inflation on food products, the poverty level is especially noticeable in Shirak and Tavush regions.
Aimed at addressing these challenges, the program will help reduce poverty, increase food security and adapt to climate change as it aims to improve living conditions in rural areas. With the help of the grant, it will be possible to provide ten villages with climate-resilient energy solutions, which, by reducing energy costs, will be used to reinvest savings in their households. The program will support improving living standards in rural communities through climate-resilient agriculture, will help strengthen the institutional capacity of the RA Ministry of Economy to support climate change adaptation planning and develop environmentally sound investment programs in the agricultural sector. The document provides for the implementation of sustainable energy solutions through the purchase and installation of small solar photovoltaic installations in 10 settlements and social facilities over an area of 160 square meters, the formation of revolving funds from which funds will be invested in subprojects that support the development of sustainable agriculture, food security and climate adaptation of local communities.
The project envisages selection among 200 households - beneficiaries, including households headed by women. According to the grant agreement, it is stipulated that all possible taxes will be co-financed by the RA government.
