On May 8, 2020 a meeting of the experts of the project “Strengthening Climate Adaptation Capacities in the South Caucasus (SCAC)” implemented by the Sustainable Caucasus and supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the working group of the Crisis Management State Academy (CMSA) took place at the CMSA.

The meeting purpose was to discuss the capacities related to natural hazard mapping and the subject learning in Armenia, as well as the progress and challenges linked with the implementation and deployment of the Distance Learning Module (DLM) on hazard assessment and disaster risk management in the Southern Caucasus, elaborated by the University of Geneva, in master`s degree program of the CMSA. The Rector of the CMSA, Major General Hamlet Matevosyan presented the Academy’s own distance learning capabilities, an e-learning platform, designed to implement different distance learning modules. The participants discussed the issues related to modification of the Distance Learning Module, by adding the session, related to earthquakes, which is very actual for Armenia, after which the program DLM will be fully prepared for deployment in Armenia.

Parties agreed to prepare translation (from English into Armenian) of some parts of the learning material (DLM), as well as organization of the training of trainers (TOT) of the State Academy of Crisis Management as required. Participants hold discussions of DLM and outlined the importance of using this curriculum not only in the higher educational programs, but also in training courses for staff of various departments of the Republic of Armenia (Ministries, Local Management Bodies, Educational Institutions, etc.), annually organized in the Crisis Management State Academy of Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia.