Mining damages Armenia’s biodiversity
22.05.2018,
16:19
Mining causes serious damages to Armenia’s biodiversity, Aram Aghasyan said Aram Aghasyan, the head of a department at the Ministry of Nature Protection, overseeing specially protected natural areas and arboretums, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
YEREVAN, May 22. /ARKA/. Mining causes serious damages to Armenia’s biodiversity, Aram Aghasyan said Aram Aghasyan, the head of a department at the Ministry of Nature Protection, overseeing specially protected natural areas and arboretums, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
"The question is how much the territories where mining is carried out are valuable from the point of view of nature protection. One can not say unequivocally that extraction of minerals must be banned. The question is that valuable natural areas must be protected," Aghasyan said.
He also noted that no research has been done on the territory of Armenia regarding the amount of damage caused to nature by the extraction of minerals.
The head of the Armenian branch of the World Wildlife Fund Karen Manvelyan, in his turn, noted that the extracting companies should direct part of their proceeds to environmental activities.
"I agree that mines should function to develop the economy, but there should not be agricultural, tourist or other programs on these areas," Manvelyan said.
As for the damage, he noted that some mines are located on the migration routes of animals, and they are forced to travel long distances in order to bypass them. -0-
"The question is how much the territories where mining is carried out are valuable from the point of view of nature protection. One can not say unequivocally that extraction of minerals must be banned. The question is that valuable natural areas must be protected," Aghasyan said.
He also noted that no research has been done on the territory of Armenia regarding the amount of damage caused to nature by the extraction of minerals.
The head of the Armenian branch of the World Wildlife Fund Karen Manvelyan, in his turn, noted that the extracting companies should direct part of their proceeds to environmental activities.
"I agree that mines should function to develop the economy, but there should not be agricultural, tourist or other programs on these areas," Manvelyan said.
As for the damage, he noted that some mines are located on the migration routes of animals, and they are forced to travel long distances in order to bypass them. -0-
