Forests Make Up Only 6–7% of Armenia: Environmentalist

There are practically no environmental issues in Armenia: this is evidenced by the UN report which was based on information provided by the Armenian government.

According to the report, forests make up 11% of land in Armenia, and the waves in “Lake Sevan peacefully ripple under the shade of Geghama hills.”

This was presented by environmentalist Karine Danielyan, while meeting with journalists today, who noted that she can’t understand how such information can be recorded when a terrible amount of logging is taking place and Lake Sevan has so many issues that to resolve them, even with the investment of all of possible efforts and abilities, would take a lot of time. 

Danielyan inspired the Armenian government’s “Clean Homeland” national program. She was also very happy to hear that the country’s prime minister — in work clothes — came to assist in the work of cleaning up Hrazdan gorge. But only that much, according to the environmentalist, is not enough. By saying “clean homeland,” first and foremost “green homeland” must be said, so that the public doesn’t get the impression that the program is only about garbage removal, especially since garbage is thrown away more quickly than it is being cleared.    

For Director of the Environmental Projects Centre SNCO at the Ministry of Nature Protection Viktor Martirosyan, the most important is that participating in the clean homeland project are more so youth organizations and groups. The project has many aims, which they’re working towards; one of the important points is the dissemination of compassionate treatment to all levels of society. Martirosyan knows that an issue exists with Lake Sevan, as it does with protecting forests. 

According to Martirosyan, it’s to resolve those issues that the government has allocated huge funds.

Karine Danielyan, however, presented much data which showed that the issues are more current and aren’t getting resolved. 

Danielyan said that she has been to the American University of Armenia and gathered the relevant scientific data, according to which forests make up only 6–7% of land in Armenia.