Some of Northern Armenia’s most beautiful landscapes include thousands of hectares of forests and trees that are protected by sustainable management of forests and protected areas.
Norayr Amirkhanyan, 45, is one of the seven foresters who guards the “Noyemberyan forestry enterprise”, the branch of HayAntar (Arm Forest) in Armenia’s mountainous northeastern Tavush region.
Every day he travels 50 kilometres or more to observe forested lands under his responsibility, to look after wildlife habitat, and monitor plans for planting new trees.
More than 10 years ago, he began his career as a forestry technician. It was through his grandfather, one of the founders of the Noyemberyan forestry, that he learned a love of the forest and everything that resides there. Since then, he has never lost the desire to spend long days studying every class of plant, and the secrets of the woods, which are also a major source of fresh water for the entire country.
Norayr never stops learning. One of his mentors is Volodya Gharagyozyan, known as Moso, a senior forester, both a teacher and friend. Together they manage tree nurseries, devise forest thinning and selective cutting plans. Knowledge like this, transmitted by word of mouth from one generation to the next, is important to maintain the integrity of forest. “We treat the forest like family”, says Norayr. “We take care of trees and the environment so that everyone can enjoy it now, and in the years to come”.
For some, the very idea of getting paid to spend time in beautiful forests exploring nature may be appealing. The reality is that the life of a forester is nothing but easy and it is only with wholehearted dedication and unconditional love of the forest that one can live through the challenges of this important but difficult work.
Stepan Mesropyan is another passionate forester. He has spent the past two years taking care of the Ijevan forest. He is responsible for 1,300 hectares in the area, which has almost become his second home.
Stepan starts his day at six in the morning and heads directly to the woods. The area under his oversight is so large that often it is hard to detect illegal activity.
Driving an old “Willys,” Jeep, he travels tens of kilometres of off-road routes leading to neighbouring forested mountains. Stepan performs observations in the forest lands, assesses fire risk, tries to prevent illegal logging and poaching, and erects fences to preserve the newly planted seedlings. In a nutshell, he protects the forest. The area under his oversight is so large that often it is hard to detect illegal activities.
The Tavush region is thickly covered with trees and there are several protected forests. Due to strict monitoring, illegal logging has reportedly decreased in the last few years.
Recalling the times when thousands of trees were cut down amid a severe economic downturn in Armenia, Stepan says, “Back in the 1990s, the forest kept us alive. Now it is up to us to keep the forest alive.”
UNDP is supporting Armenia to build climate change resilience and achieve its carbon neutral ambitions in sync with EU’s Green Deal. By 2050, Armenia intends to reduce its net emissions to at most 2.07 tCO2e/capita.
EU4Climate helps governments in the six EU Eastern Partner countries, including Armenia, to act against climate change. It supports countries in implementing the Paris Climate Agreement and improving climate policies and legislation. Its ambition is to limit climate change impact on citizens’ lives and make them more resilient to it. EU4Climate is funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP.
© 2026 United Nations Development Programme
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