Deputy minister: excessive consumption of natural resources is Armenia’s gravest environmental problem

YEREVAN, July 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Deputy Nature Protection Minister Simon Papyan told journalists on Tuesday that excessive consumption of natural resources is the country’s gravest environmental problem. 

Presenting Armenia’s major challenges listed in the National Assessment Report, which was presented by Armenia at the  United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio + 20 (World Summit on Sustainable Development), he said that things will grow dangerous in the next decade, if no action is taken to solve the problem in a civilized manner.

“I mean water resources, flora and fauna and problems relating to protection of forests and excessive usage of natural resources,” he said. 

At the same time, the deputy minister pointed out the achievements Armenia has reached in recent years. 

“Lake Sevan’s level has risen three meters since 2001, and the quality of the lake’s water will improve thanks to water-purifying stations, which will be put into operation later this year,” he said. 

As another achievement, Papyan singled out expansion of specially protected natural areas and creation of two national parks and several sanctuaries. “Now already 13% of the country’s territory, including Sevan’s water surface, is protected,” he said. 

Besides, average daily duration of water supply in Armenia has been increased from six hours in 2004 to 15 hours now, and 32,000 hectares of forests have been restored in a few years. 

The first conference was held in 1992. Countries met 20 years later again in Rio de Janeiro to discuss green economy, sustainable development and poverty elimination problems and adopted a 49-page declaration titled The Future We Want.-0---