At the recent Mining Armenia Forum 2026, one of Lydian Armenia’s biodiversity conservation initiatives — a program dedicated to the scientific study, propagation, and long-term conservation of the plant species Potentilla Porphyrantha — was named the winner of the John Hobbs Biodiversity Conservation Award.
Lydian Armenia has implemented this program in collaboration with the Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Treweek Environmental Consultants, and Cambridge University Botanic Garden, bringing together leading scientists from Armenia and around the world.
In 2012, biodiversity baseline studies conducted at Amulsar identified a previously unknown population of Potentilla porphyrantha, a plant species listed in Armenia’s Red Book. For more than a decade, Lydian Armenia has worked closely with its partners to advance research and conservation efforts for the species, investing approximately USD 500,000 in these initiatives.
The John Hobbs Biodiversity Conservation Award is an important recognition of Lydian Armenia’s leading practices in biodiversity conservation and its sustained efforts over more than a decade. It demonstrates how mining companies can make a meaningful contribution to biodiversity conservation through science-based approaches, international collaboration, and targeted investments.
This achievement is particularly significant in the context of the ongoing 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), hosted by Armenia, demonstrating that responsible mining and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand.
Lydian Armenia remains committed to advancing its biodiversity conservation efforts, upholding international best practices, and contributing to the long-term protection of Armenia’s natural heritage.
