In the frames of the Ministry of Environment-implemented “Support Program for Protected Areas-Armenia” (SPPA-A) project, Secretary General of the Ministry Grigor Gulyan was in Syunik region.
With the participation of Director of SPPA-A,  the delegation of the RA Ministry of Environment, within the framework of SPPA-A program’s Financial Participatory Approach (FPA 3) component’s 3rd stage, totally 167 households from four target cities of Syunik region - Kapan, Kajaran, Meghri and Agarak - were given the opportunity to start-up their business.
The programs are addressed to providing new income for families, improving their socio-economic situation without harming nature at the same time. In general, 397 project applications were received from the 4 target cities; the latter were anonymous, evaluated by the assessment working group, which comprised the employees of the RA Ministry of Environment, as well as relevant experts from non-governmental organizations.
The total amount of each approved business plan was up to 700.000 AMD, and the quantities of the latter according to the regional distribution are presented below:
  Kapan city: 80 were funded out of 196 applications,
  Meghri city: 58 were funded out of 136 applications,
   Agarak city: 21 were funded out of 45 applications  
Kajaran city: 8 were funded out of 20 applications.
Note, that in the 1st and 2 phases of FPA 3, business plans of 140 households in 28 rural settlements were also financed.
Nature protection and promotion of biodiversity can be sustainable if only people close to the protected areas geographically, economically and culturally feel comfortable and happy when nature is protected. Nature protection must be in harmony with human development. Therefore, this basic principle of the Financial Participatory Approach is becoming a reality through the socio-economic development of local communities through the fulfillment of nature protection and ensuring harmony.
“Khustup” environmental NGO was selected as an organization supporting the implementation of FPA 3 component measures.