Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report Project Number: 45415 June 2014 Armenia: Urban Development in Secondary Cities (Financed by the Urban Environmental Infrastructure Fund under the Urban Financing Partnership Facility) CITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN DILIJAN VOLUME II - ANNEXES Prepared by Fernando de Marcos Yerevan, Armenia; 03-06-2014 For: Internal document for Consultants team Appendix 1 2 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 03 June 2014) Currency Unit – Dram (AMD) AMD1.00 = $0.00242 $1.00 = AMD 413,308 ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank ARDEP - Armenia Regional Development Project ARRM - Armenian Resident Mission, CDP - City development/investment plan CBS - Cost breakdown structure CMS - Consultant Management System COE - Council of Europe CoP Communities of Practice DMC - ADB Developing member country DFID - Department for International Development (UK) LSG - Local Self-Government Bodies MOE - Ministry of Economy MOU - Memorandum of understanding MTA - Ministry of Territorial Administration MTEF - Medium-term expenditure framework MOUD - Ministry of Urban Development NGO - Nongovernment organization NSS - National Statistical Service PATA Policy and Advisory Technical Assistance PPP - Private Public Projects PPTA - Project preparatory technical assistance OSCE - Organization for security and co-operation in Europe UNDP - United Nations Development Programme UOP - Urban Operational Plan USS - Urban Sector Strategy Q - Quarter REDAM - Regional Development in Armenia SWOT - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats TA - technical assistance TACIS - Technical Assistance for the CIS and Mongolia Appendix 1 3 Staff (according Terms of reference) Fernando de Marco FDM – Senior urban planner and team leader (intl.) Robert Romo RR – Senior urban infrastructure engineer (intl.) James Jessamine JJ – Cultural heritage and tourism specialist (intl.) Mónica Batán Zamora MBZ – Economic development specialist (intl.) François Moulin FM – Urban finance specialist and economist (intl.)) Jörg Fischer JF – Geographic information system specialist and Urban planner (intl.) Armen Keshishyan AK – Urban infrastructure, transport, tourism, and institutional support consultant (national) Samvel Bareyan SB – Urban Finance and Economic Support Consultant (national) Hayk Yeritsian HY – Urban Planner and GIS Support (national) In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Appendix 1 4 CONTENTS Page I. APPENDIX 1: ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS 7 A. Geographical situation, 7 B. Climate 8 C. Geology, 9 1. Geo-resources/Mining, 9 D. Hydrology 10 E. Soils 10 F. Vegetation 11 G. Fauna 13 H. Natural risks and hazards 13 I. Protected Areas 15 II. APPENDIX 2: TOURIST ASSESSMENT 17 A. Introduction 17 1. Background 17 2. Definitions 18 B. Current Situation 19 1. Attractions 19 a. Dilijan National Park 20 b. Dilijan Museum of Local History and Art Gallery 21 c. Dilijan Mineral Springs 23 d. Theatres 23 e. Dilijan Music Academy and Dilijan Art Academy 23 f. Dilijan Library 23 g. Domestic Architecture 24 2. Accommodation 24 3. Tourism Infrastructure 26 a. Tourist Information 26 b. Tourism Signage 26 c. Transport Issues 27 d. Institutional Framework 27 e. Telecoms and Internet 27 f. Banking Services 28 C. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Tourism Sector 29 1. Key Strengths 29 a. Natural Assets 29 b. Market Assets 29 c. Built Assets 29 d. Cultural Assets 29 2. Key Opportunities 29 3. Key Weaknesses 29 a. Support infrastructure 29 b. Planning 29 c. Product 30 d. Human resources 30 e. Marketing 30 f. Community involvement 30 4. Key Threats 30 a. Natural Assets 30 b. Support Infrastructure 30 Appendix 1 5 c. Human Resources 30 d. Marketing 31 e. Community Development 31 D. Tourism Market Assessment 32 1. National Strategy 32 2. Visitor by Origin and Purpose 34 3. Visitors by Destination and Purpose 38 4. Visitor Expenditure 41 5. Domestic Visitors 43 6. Visitor Arrival Estimates 44 E. Economic Development 45 1. The role of tourism in economic development 45 2. Economic Impacts 45 3. The role of tourism in investment positioning 46 F. Dilijan Draft Tourism Business Strategy 47 1. Objectives 47 1. Bird Watching Infrastructure 48 G. Potential Tourism Projects 52 1. General 52 2. Sustainable tourism development 52 3. Ecotourism 52 4. Potential Tourism-related Development Projects 53 5. Potential projects 53 a. Area Access 53 b. Local Access 53 c. Extend Tourism Season 54 d. Future Tourism Development 54 e. Streetscape and Urban Design 54 f. Transport Information 55 g. Human Resource Development 55 H. Draft Project Evaluation Matrix 56 1. The Evaluation Process 56 2. Desirable Criteria 56 3. Draft Evaluation Matrix Sheet 56 III. APPENDIX 3: COMMUNICATION MATERIAL 58 A. GIS-Mapping 58 1. General information - maps and graphics 58 2. Detailed strategic information – maps and graphics 58 B. Desk study to provide examples of cities in Europe and Asia with similar development issues, 59 1. The Bilbao Effect 59 2. Glasgow City of Culture 60 3. Tourism Observatory of Avila, Spain. 61 a. Categories of effects: 61 4. Other innovative and ambitious transportation practices in Europe. Project collection 62 C. Organization of a public consultation to share the objectives and main components, and finalize the CDP based on the feedback from all stakeholders. 62 IV. APPENDIX 4: LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES 63 A. List of tables 63 B. List of figures 63 C. List of maps 63 Appendix 1 6 Appendix 1 7 I. APPENDIX 1: ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS A. Geographical situation, 1. Situated in the Aghstev valley, Dilijan is covered with dense forests and situated in mountainous landscape. The elevation varies between1100-1510m above the sea-level. The total area within administrative boundaries of the urban community is 4301.5 hectares. The DilijanNational Park, which is a forest area, is located within the community with a total area of 1786.4 hectares. Aghstev River with its numerous tributaries flows across the community. Map 1: Topographical map 2. Embedded in the South Caucasian mountain range, different locations of slopes and severe complicated relief in a relatively small area, create unique diversity of natural conditions. Besides foothill and alpine zones, vertical alteration landscapes are well expressed here. Especially average mountain zone is well expressed at altitudes of 1200- 1800m. 3. Due to mountainous relieves slopes are generally very steep. Appendix 1 8 Map 2: Slopes B. Climate 4. Dilijan is characterized by temperate warm and humid climatewith relatively cool summers, which is characteristic of a mountainous and forested area.. An average annual temperature fluctuation doesn’t exceed 24°C. In low-mountain section of the community, annual average air temperature is 9.2°C to 10.5°C degrees, in January -0.6ºC to -1.3°C, July +19.9ºC to +21.1ºC.Absolute maximum temperature is +37°C and absolute minimum is - 26°C.. The time period without frosts varies from 200 to 210 days. Snow cover thickness ranges from 5 to 50cm, and on northern slopes sometimes it exceeds 70 cm, making those areas inaccessible during winter time. Average annual precipitations vary from 537mm (foothill zone) to 850-860 mm (highland zone). Maximum rainfall is observed in spring (about 35% of annual norm), and minimum quantity of rainfall in winter (about 12%). Table 1: Dilijan climate J F M A M J J A S O N D Total Max. Temperature ºC 2 2 6 12 17 22 25 24 21 16 9 3 13.3 Min. Temperature -8 -7 -4 1 5 9 11 11 7 3 -1 -5 1.8 Hours of Sunshine (daily) 4 4 5 6 7 9 11 10 9 6 5 3 2403 Monthly rainfall 18 25 38 61 96 87 54 44 37 42 32 20 554 Appendix 1 9 C. Geology, 5. Dilijan is located in young folded mountain chains with very high instability of slopes. Rocks are mainly Eocene sedimentary (marine sedimentary rocks, brown colours on the map), Jurassic volcanogenic (marine volcano sedimentary rocks, blue colours on the map)and Cretaceous (marine sedimentary rocks, limestones, green colours on the map) substrates, alternating with intrusive rocks and quaternary volcanoes (red and black colours)1.Relief of the territory is complicated, River Aghstev channel and terraces are smooth but slopes aresteep with cut off ravines. Urban and adjacent areas are characterized by high power alluvial-terraces (10-30m) clays, clay-sand, and gravel.Geological structure is complicated and diverse. Hydrogeological conditions and hazardous geological processes (landslides) require that specific building codes applied during construction of residential and large scale commercial buildings. Map 3: Geology 1. Geo-resources/Mining, 6. There are many and various metal and non-metal mines in the territory. From metals, antimony,copper and other non-ferrous and precious elements, iron and manganese mines are met in theterritory, as for non-metallic minerals: limestone, sand, dolomite, macadam, boulder, clay,proliferate, sandstone and other construction materials mines. No metal mines are being exploited. Most important mining resources have been detected near to Margahovit with several gold and silver deposits (Au, Ag). However, it should be noted, that 1 Geological Map of Republic of Armenia Ministry of Nature Protection of Republic of Armenia, Geological Agency, Scale 1:500 000,Author Ed.KharzyaN Appendix 1 10 these deposits have not been proved as economically feasible and are not exploited by any company. Environmental protection regulations of National park would impose important limitations for any mining industry. D. Hydrology 7. Due to relatively high rainfall the hydrological network is well developed and the area is rich in surface waters. The main drainage course, called Aghstevriver, flow through the city of Dilijan showing a marked mountainous hydrological run-off regime.The main tributaries of Aghstev River are Hovvajur, Shtoghanajur, Haghartsin, Bldan and Getik. Main highway, roads and other construction buildings along Aghstevriver are protected by embankments from flooding events that may occur during heavy rainfall events and snow melt in the end of spring and early summer.