Vivacell-MTS: Lighting to Prevent Possible Bear Invasion
For the residents of Arpi, a village in Vayots Dzor region, the last two months of summer passed in an unusual regime. The villagers had to establish a night guard shift to protect the residents from the possible bears’ invasion of the village. The wild animals would particularly target the parts of the village which remained dark in night time. The lighted and crowded main street did not attract the bears. Solving the problem of the secondary streets lighting is now a priority in Arpi.
The main street of the village, an approximately 2 km long section, was illuminated last year with the support of VivaCell-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC). The partners have installed 51 LED lamps here. The second phase of the project has kicked off. Another 60 lamps will be needed to light the four other streets of the village. As a result, 2250 m will be illuminated. The safety and community budget saving problems of the biodiversity-rich settlement will be solved.
“The program implemented in remote villages has always been seen from the perspectives of energy saving, economic efficiency, creation of civilized conditions and environmental issues. The problem of safety is taken into consideration, too, and it is not by occasion. Borderland villages face the issue of protecting themselves from the enemy, while other villages have an issue with animal invasions. To provide all that, it is said at least 80% of a village has to have lighting. And that implies a bigger project. To reach as many people’s needs as possible we oftentimes opt for stage by stage solution: we illuminate the main streets first, and then move on to secondary ones. And it is important to see that the program serves its purpose,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.
The opportunity of developing infrastructures with modern technologies and the work performed by technical staff have inspired the residents. The efficiency of the LED lamps lighting system has already been tangible in the village. The head of the village states: the cost is low and the lighting is satisfying.
“This summer, our village was heavily covered by the news. The reason was the bears causing major damage to the villagers’ properties. I think things will change after the implementation of the second phase of the street lighting program. These lamps are energy-saving and powerful. Their technical capacities ensure good lighting and significantly reduce the energy consumption. The result is obvious as compared to regular lamps,’ said the head of village administration Gagik Hovsepyan.
The partner organizations continue to focus on infrastructure development project. The problems are being identified; solutions are planned and implemented in different settlements of Armenia.
About “Eco villages network” project
Eco villages network includes selected intentional or traditional communities throughout Armenia, that are consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes to regenerate their social, cultural, economic and natural environments. The core idea behind the whole concept of the ecovillages is integrating the four dimensions of sustainability – ecological, economic, cultural and social – through integral, participatory design. The project is a new format of the long-term cooperation between the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), VivaCell-MTS and the Global Ecovillages Network (GEN) in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.
About FPWC
The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) was founded in Y2002. FPWC is a member organization of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since Y2012. FPWC’s mission is to publicize the unique natural heritage of Armenia and the importance of biodiversity conservation, environmental issues and the importance of preserving nature. We aim to reduce human and wildlife conflict and its consequences to reduce the risks of endangered species of flora and fauna. Biodiversity conservation, environmental education, community development and public awareness are the main directions of our activities.
About VivaCell-MTS
VivaCell-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications operator, having the widest network reach and spreading a wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on 1st July Y2005 and in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility) and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System). For more information, visit www.mts.am
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS”) is the leading telecommunications group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice, broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 100 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus. Since July Y2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about the MTS Group can be found at www.mtsgsm.com