Every society deserves the ecology it creates. This idea set the tone for a panel discussion organized by the ARAR Civilizational Research Foundation during the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).
Bringing together four experts, the discussion explored three interconnected dimensions of environmental challenges: the place of environmental security in the hierarchy of public security priorities, the psychological factors shaping our relationship with nature, and the role of education and public awareness in fostering environmental responsibility.
Dr. Arthur Atanesyan, Professor of Political Science, Head of the Department of Applied Sociology at Yerevan State University, and an ARAR Foundation expert, examined deeply rooted social practices in Armenia that contradict environmental protection and the principles of a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
He drew attention to society’s consumerist relationship with nature: the tendency to exploit natural resources without restoring them, perceive nature primarily as a place for leisure, and expand human activity at the expense of the natural environment. He also highlighted the phenomenon of slacktivism, noting that online activism in Armenia often substitutes for meaningful action rather than serving as its starting point.
“Environmental security remains at the very bottom of the public hierarchy of priorities. Yet environmental challenges such as air pollution, deforestation, and their far-reaching consequences continue to damage both nature and human health,” Atanesyan stated.
Turning to environmental education and public awareness, Vigen Shirvanyan, a climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR) specialist, pointed out that Armenian adolescents demonstrate a relatively high level of awareness of environmental issues and a willingness to contribute to solving them. Yet awareness and knowledge do not necessarily translate into practical skills or responsible behavior.
As he explained, education does not take place exclusively in classrooms. Children also learn from the society around them, observing which values and priorities adults and institutions put into practice.
Shirvanyan called for a shift from knowledge-based instruction towards practical and participatory environmental education. Children should have opportunities to identify environmental problems in their communities, develop solutions, and take part in decision-making. “Environmental education should do more than encourage responsible behavior today; it should prepare citizens capable of changing society’s priorities tomorrow,” he emphasized.
The discussion also explored the psychological dimension of environmental challenges. Khachatur Gasparyan, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor, Director of INTRA Mental Health Center, and an ARAR Foundation expert, emphasized that environmental issues cannot be understood solely through ecological or technological perspectives. They are equally shaped by psychological and social factors.
“We receive the same information about climate change, but we do not all perceive its significance in the same way,” he noted. Risk perception, emotions, personal values, individual experiences, and expectations about the future all influence how people respond to environmental challenges.
In his concluding remarks, sociologist and Director of the ARAR Foundation Armen Khachikyan highlighted the broader social dimension of environmental protection. Environmental challenges, he argued, are inseparable from societal values, perceptions of risk, everyday behavior, and public engagement.
He stressed that awareness, on its own, is insufficient. For example, although 78.2% of adolescents turn off the tap when water is not needed, only 18.4% use reusable cloth bags. The difference illustrates that environmentally responsible behavior is shaped not only by personal intentions but also by the conditions and systems within which people make everyday choices.
“Environmental culture takes shape when knowledge becomes action, individual action grows into collective participation, and public participation brings about institutional change,” Khachikyan said, adding that COP17 offers an opportunity not only to address biodiversity conservation but also to strengthen Armenia’s environmental culture.
Ultimately, the discussion highlighted a fundamental distinction: being aware of environmental challenges is not the same as taking responsibility for addressing them. Building an environmental culture requires moving beyond awareness towards meaningful action, collective engagement, and tangible results.