Armenia: Mining Out the Leopard

In 2018 a new government came to power in Armenia, amid widespread optimism that its leader Nikol Pashinyan would end decades of corruption and economic and industrial mismanagement.

But now his administration faces a major dilemma – whether to proceed with a hugely divisive, multi-billion dollar mining project at Amulsar in the mountainous south of the country.

READ: Mining vs the environment: The battle over Armenia’s Amulsar gold mine

Its backers say it could bring Armenia benefits in the form of foreign investment and jobs. But ranged against it is an increasingly effective coalition of activists and protesters who warn that the project will cause enormous environmental damage and further endanger one of the world’s rarest and most beautiful animal species – the Caucasian Leopard.

People and Power sent filmmakers Glenn Ellis and Viktoryia Kolchyna to find out more.