Armenia: Official Launch of the Nomination Process for the Dilijan Biosphere Reserve at CBD COP17

The project “Towards the Establishment of the Dilijan Biosphere Reserve in Armenia – Nomination and Enabling Framework” was officially launched with a kick-off workshop on 26 October 2026 in Yerevan. The event took place as part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17).

The workshop marks an important milestone on the path towards establishing the Dilijan Biosphere Reserve. Discussions focused on the requirements and guiding principles of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, the institutional framework for the nomination, and the specific steps involved in the upcoming nomination process.

Following welcome remarks by Robert Alikhanyan, Director of Dilijan National Park; Jan Peters, Managing Director of the Michael Succow Foundation; and Areg Karapetyan, Director of our Armenian partner organisation Soluton, Petr Čupa provided insights into the requirements of UNESCO’s MAB Programme. As a member of UNESCO’s International Advisory Committee for Biosphere Reserves and Head of the Dolní Morava Biosphere Reserve in the Czech Republic, he also shared practical experience from his work. Lilit Sahakyan, Chair of the Armenian National MAB Committee, then explained the committee’s role in the nomination process. Finally, Vazgen Galstyan, Project Manager at SOLUTON, presented the planned process for nominating the Dilijan Biosphere Reserve.

The Michael Succow Foundation has been involved in the development of the Dilijan Biosphere Reserve from the outset. Since the first potential assessment in 2019, the Foundation has supported Armenia’s Ministry of Environment and local partners in their efforts to establish the country’s first UNESCO biosphere reserve. During the first project phase, a working group comprising more than 30 local stakeholders and a national steering committee were established. Together, they laid the groundwork for the nomination.

The Foundation contributes its extensive international experience with UNESCO biosphere reserves, including in Georgia, where it has supported the nomination of the “Three Alazani Rivers” and “Dedoplistskaro” biosphere reserves. The aim is to establish a biosphere reserve that combines biodiversity conservation with sustainable regional development and actively involves local communities.

The launch of the nomination process provides an important foundation for continued cooperation. The planned Dilijan Biosphere Reserve offers an opportunity to conserve natural and cultural landscapes over the long term and strengthen prospects for sustainable development in the region.

The project is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment through the Advisory Assistance Programme (AAP) for environmental protection in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as other countries bordering the European Union. It is supported by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation and the German Environment Agency. The Stiftung Überlebensrecht contributes co-financing to the project.