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Regions.ru
September 12, 2006
"DOES ARMENIA FIND ITSELF ON THE VERGE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER?"
While predatory deforestation is in full progress in the Republic, the
Minister of Environment is involved in big business.
/The former Minister of Environment Karine Danielyan claims that today
Yerevan, and Armenia as a whole, are on the verge of an environmental
disaster. According to her, during the last 10 years the incidence of
cases of bronchial asthma, upper respiratory tract and acute
intestinal infections has increased sharply. ?The ?lungs? of the
city, the green zones which were supposed to clean the city air, were
eliminated?, the former Minister noted. However it looks like the
acting head of the Republic?s environmental department does not share
the concern of his predecessor./
Armenia?s ecology today finds itself in the most pitiable condition in
the whole history of the country. This is being spoken out by
representatives of the various environmental and public organizations
of the Republic. Since the time when the former businessman and
politician Vardan Avazyan took the position of Armenia?s Minister of
Environment in 2001 the situation in the environment protection
department has practically gone out of control. Not having any
experience of environmental work, Avazyan preferred to be involved in
the issues which were more familiar to him, that is, to participate in
negotiations with potential investors forcing them to pay the
?environmental tributes?, and in other ?money matters?. As for the
nature, it was left to itself and at the disposal of the few
businessmen who managed to find understanding with the Minister.
The results of such a policy turned out to be predictable. The former
Minister Karine Danielyan who currently is Chairman of the public
organization ?In the Name of Stable Development? is willing to share
her negative estimate of the environmental situation in Armenia even
at the international community level. Currently the organization
together with the UN environment program is preparing a report on the
environmental situation in the country. Also ?In the Name of Stable
Development? has carried out a sociological poll, according to which
57% of respondents were not satisfied wit the condition of environment
in Yerevan, and 32.2% estimated it as disastrous. 84% of the
inhabitants are concerned about destruction of the ?green? areas of
the capital due to building up of permanent commercial establishments,
57% are extremely dissatisfied with the profuse insanitation in the
capital, and 51% consider the atmosphere over Yerevan to be extremely
polluted. 52% think that it is the environmental condition of the city
that causes the negative impact on the health of the city dwellers,
besides, 41.5% complained about the pollution of drinking water, 38%
complained about the noise, and 25% about the pollution of soil.
Judging by publications in the local mass media, deforestation in the
last five years has become disastrous over the whole territory of
Armenia. This, in particular, was recently reported by Susan
Yagoubyan-Klein, Regional director of the ?Planting Trees in Armenia?
Program. She noted that the tendency is ?terrifying?, as in the past
years the forest coverage of the Republic?s territory constituted 25%,
and in the 90?s around 20%. ?Never before was Armenia closer to the
environmental disaster?, S. Yagoubyan-Klein said. She emphasized that
if such a tendency is allowed to continue, in 20 years Armenia will be
facing a real threat of desertification.
S. Yagoubyan-Klein also noted that the unlawful cutting of trees
continues up to this day.
In the meantime the current Minister of Environment of RA Vardan
Aivazyan is still not inclined to overestimate the problems existing
in the Republic. Speaking at the recent hearing held in the Parliament
titled ?Environmental Problems in Yerevan?, Aivazyan, replying to the
criticism aimed at himself, joked, ?If we look at everything in
absolute terms, then we should prohibit playing the violin, as a wood
rosin emission takes place in the course of playing?.
The Minister?s relative tranquility is understandable, as he is busy
with issues which are rather distant from protection of green
plantations. As observed by the eyewitnesses, Aivazyan is a lot more
enthusiastic about conflicts and disputes with various ?economic
subjects?, and about other issues which are somehow or other connected
with the ?real cash?. The main ?enemies? of the Environment Minister
today are large ore and gold mining companies operating on the
territory of the Republic. Revision of old contracts, refusal to issue
mining licenses, laying down the additional conditions to the existing
agreements: all these worrisome but lucrative concerns steal away a
lot of Aivazyan?s time and strength.
As a result multi-billion projects agreed on and approved at the
highest government and even inter-government level are facing a threat
today ?thanks? to the restless and clearly irrelevant activity of one
single Minister. Therefore it is quite expectable that not only
independent ecologists, but also Aivazyan?s colleagues in the
government of Armenia are dissatisfied with his activities. For
several months now the local media has put new wind in the rumors of
possible resignation of Aivazyan. They say that the Minister?s ?lot?
will be decided on already in February.
It is characteristic that the Minister himself saw the reason for the
rumors of his possible resignation not in the evidently disastrous
environmental situation in Armenia, but in the ?intrigues of external
forces? which, in the official?s opinion, in his person are nearly
infringing the sovereignty of the entire Republic. As it often happens
in such cases, patriotism pushed into the foreground has become
Aivazyan?s last resort. Under the slogan of protecting the country
from foreign influence, he is trying as hard as he can to create for
himself an image of a fighter for the interests of Armenia. However,
thanks to Aivazyan?s efforts, the country is already left without
forests and tomorrow it may be left without foreign investors who are
already perplexed by the Minister?s behavior.
12.09.2006 Ruben Azaryan, Regions.ru
http://www.regions.ru/news/2007293/
September 12, 2006
"DOES ARMENIA FIND ITSELF ON THE VERGE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER?"
While predatory deforestation is in full progress in the Republic, the
Minister of Environment is involved in big business.
/The former Minister of Environment Karine Danielyan claims that today
Yerevan, and Armenia as a whole, are on the verge of an environmental
disaster. According to her, during the last 10 years the incidence of
cases of bronchial asthma, upper respiratory tract and acute
intestinal infections has increased sharply. ?The ?lungs? of the
city, the green zones which were supposed to clean the city air, were
eliminated?, the former Minister noted. However it looks like the
acting head of the Republic?s environmental department does not share
the concern of his predecessor./
Armenia?s ecology today finds itself in the most pitiable condition in
the whole history of the country. This is being spoken out by
representatives of the various environmental and public organizations
of the Republic. Since the time when the former businessman and
politician Vardan Avazyan took the position of Armenia?s Minister of
Environment in 2001 the situation in the environment protection
department has practically gone out of control. Not having any
experience of environmental work, Avazyan preferred to be involved in
the issues which were more familiar to him, that is, to participate in
negotiations with potential investors forcing them to pay the
?environmental tributes?, and in other ?money matters?. As for the
nature, it was left to itself and at the disposal of the few
businessmen who managed to find understanding with the Minister.
The results of such a policy turned out to be predictable. The former
Minister Karine Danielyan who currently is Chairman of the public
organization ?In the Name of Stable Development? is willing to share
her negative estimate of the environmental situation in Armenia even
at the international community level. Currently the organization
together with the UN environment program is preparing a report on the
environmental situation in the country. Also ?In the Name of Stable
Development? has carried out a sociological poll, according to which
57% of respondents were not satisfied wit the condition of environment
in Yerevan, and 32.2% estimated it as disastrous. 84% of the
inhabitants are concerned about destruction of the ?green? areas of
the capital due to building up of permanent commercial establishments,
57% are extremely dissatisfied with the profuse insanitation in the
capital, and 51% consider the atmosphere over Yerevan to be extremely
polluted. 52% think that it is the environmental condition of the city
that causes the negative impact on the health of the city dwellers,
besides, 41.5% complained about the pollution of drinking water, 38%
complained about the noise, and 25% about the pollution of soil.
Judging by publications in the local mass media, deforestation in the
last five years has become disastrous over the whole territory of
Armenia. This, in particular, was recently reported by Susan
Yagoubyan-Klein, Regional director of the ?Planting Trees in Armenia?
Program. She noted that the tendency is ?terrifying?, as in the past
years the forest coverage of the Republic?s territory constituted 25%,
and in the 90?s around 20%. ?Never before was Armenia closer to the
environmental disaster?, S. Yagoubyan-Klein said. She emphasized that
if such a tendency is allowed to continue, in 20 years Armenia will be
facing a real threat of desertification.
S. Yagoubyan-Klein also noted that the unlawful cutting of trees
continues up to this day.
In the meantime the current Minister of Environment of RA Vardan
Aivazyan is still not inclined to overestimate the problems existing
in the Republic. Speaking at the recent hearing held in the Parliament
titled ?Environmental Problems in Yerevan?, Aivazyan, replying to the
criticism aimed at himself, joked, ?If we look at everything in
absolute terms, then we should prohibit playing the violin, as a wood
rosin emission takes place in the course of playing?.
The Minister?s relative tranquility is understandable, as he is busy
with issues which are rather distant from protection of green
plantations. As observed by the eyewitnesses, Aivazyan is a lot more
enthusiastic about conflicts and disputes with various ?economic
subjects?, and about other issues which are somehow or other connected
with the ?real cash?. The main ?enemies? of the Environment Minister
today are large ore and gold mining companies operating on the
territory of the Republic. Revision of old contracts, refusal to issue
mining licenses, laying down the additional conditions to the existing
agreements: all these worrisome but lucrative concerns steal away a
lot of Aivazyan?s time and strength.
As a result multi-billion projects agreed on and approved at the
highest government and even inter-government level are facing a threat
today ?thanks? to the restless and clearly irrelevant activity of one
single Minister. Therefore it is quite expectable that not only
independent ecologists, but also Aivazyan?s colleagues in the
government of Armenia are dissatisfied with his activities. For
several months now the local media has put new wind in the rumors of
possible resignation of Aivazyan. They say that the Minister?s ?lot?
will be decided on already in February.
It is characteristic that the Minister himself saw the reason for the
rumors of his possible resignation not in the evidently disastrous
environmental situation in Armenia, but in the ?intrigues of external
forces? which, in the official?s opinion, in his person are nearly
infringing the sovereignty of the entire Republic. As it often happens
in such cases, patriotism pushed into the foreground has become
Aivazyan?s last resort. Under the slogan of protecting the country
from foreign influence, he is trying as hard as he can to create for
himself an image of a fighter for the interests of Armenia. However,
thanks to Aivazyan?s efforts, the country is already left without
forests and tomorrow it may be left without foreign investors who are
already perplexed by the Minister?s behavior.
12.09.2006 Ruben Azaryan, Regions.ru
http://www.regions.ru/news/2007293/