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In the cold mountain regions of Armenia, keeping warm has traditionally been a time- and resource-consuming business. But today, people in upland villages are able to keep warm more easily thanks to the availability of cheap and environmentally friendly piped gas.

Gevorg and his family have a new addition to their home. It can’t be seen, touched or smelled, but has already made a significant difference to their lives. Gevorg’s home has recently been connected to a new pipeline bringing natural gas to remote villages in the Aragatsotn marz (province) of western Armenia.

“We are very happy,” Gevorg says. “It’s clean – no more living in a smoke-filled house through the winter months. We save money – and time too. My wife used to spend many hours every week preparing dung to burn for heating.”

Gevorg, 48, lives in the village of Yernjatap and farms a small plot of land, just a couple of hectares in size. He keeps two sheep and two cows, and grows vegetables, apples and pears in his yard, mainly for family consumption. He and his wife have three young sons.

Yernjatap has a population of 700. It is one of seven mountain villages in the Aragatsotn marz now connected via mid-pressure pipes to the high-pressure main pipeline that brings natural gas from Russia to the highlands of Armenia. The distribution scheme was cofinanced by the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) as part of the IFAD-supported Rural Areas Economic Development Programme.

Mountains make up about 80 per cent of Armenia’s landmass. During the long winters, which last from October to April, temperatures can fall to -15° C or even -20˚C for periods of three or four months. Keeping warm is essential, but energy is at a premium.

In Yernjatap, 90 per cent of the households have been connected to the natural gas pipeline. Despite an initial outlay of about 280,000 Armenian drams (about US$1,000 at the time) to install and connect the gas heater or stove, savings have been considerable. Over the course of one winter, the inhabitants of Yernjatap have more than halved the amount they spend on energy. The average energy cost per household has dropped from 297,800 drams (US$769) to 144,000 drams (US$371).

The programme, which ran for four years and closed in 2009, helped develop small enterprises and income-generating opportunities to alleviate economic stagnation in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the country.

Dispelling the winter chill

“The winters are bitter in these mountain villages,” says Margarita Gasparyan, the programme’s monitoring and evaluation officer. “Most people heat their homes and fuel their stoves with electricity, liquid gas, or by burning cow dung and wood. The poorer households don’t have livestock and have to buy dung or forage for kindling. Some are forced to cut down trees from their own orchards for fuelwood. A family burns at least 5 m3 of wood over the winter period.”

Poverty is widespread in rural Armenia. The country has suffered many ordeals since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Unemployment is high, and economic growth is patchy, particularly in rural areas. Most rural people have only two options: farming or migration, mainly to Russia. The average farm size is 1.4 hectares with two to three sheep, one or two cows, a vegetable patch and a small fruit orchard. The soils are thin and stony at high altitudes. Any food surpluses are sold for cash, but most farmers are able to produce only enough for their families’ needs.

Haykuhi, 55, is married with two children. Like many women in Yernjatap, she was responsible for fetching and cutting wood and preparing cow dung for fuel. The piped gas scheme has freed her from these chores.

There are also benefits for the community as a whole. The construction of the pipeline provided employment for local people. And the arrival of natural gas has improved conditions in public institutions – such as schools and hospitals – as well as in homes, heralding the end of wood burning and unhealthy smoky environments.

The environmental impact is equally important. Programme staff estimate that each household using natural gas saves 0.02 hectares of forest annually. “The decrease in wood cutting will save trees and ensure the protection of green zones,” says Gasparyan.

The villagers have also found a better use for cow dung. Instead of burning it, they use it to fertilize their vegetable gardens and fruit trees. More fertilizer means increased productivity and improved soil structure. Crop productivity in the target area has increased by about 15 to 20 per cent, now that manure is available as fertilizer.

Fuelling new enterprises

With the advent of cheap energy, the villagers of Yernjatap are able to plan businesses that they could never have dreamed of before. Three brothers intend to open a bakery, while a farmer wants to invest in dairy processing. Perhaps some of the migrant workers will be able to return to their villages and invest in new businesses.

Although the programme closed in 2009, the piped gas distribution scheme is now being replicated by OFID throughout Armenia, and will be incorporated as a component in a new, IFAD-supported Rural Asset Creation Programme in the country. Rural communities previously without a consolidated energy source are now being linked to the expanding network. Impact on the rural economy is likely to be considerable

Source: IFAD