Tweet
GREEN PASSPORT TO REGULATE SHPPS - VIDEO
15:27 February 06, 2015
EcoLur
100 SHPPs constructed on the rivers of Armenia will be issued green
passports, as "EcoLur" Informational NGO President Inga Zarafyan,
Ashot Avalyan - Deputy Staff Head of Nature Protection Ministry,
and Davit Grigoryan - Head of Water Permit Department of Nature
Protection Ministry stated at the press conference held EcoLur Press
Club on 5 February.
It's the first time that public sector together with Nature Protection
Ministry will conduct a joint monitoring in the SHPPs constructed
on the rivers. This initiative will be carried out in the frames of
"Support to SHPP-relating reforms through the dialogue of public and
RA Nature Protection Ministry for Sustainable Use of River Ecosystems"
with the financial support of the UNDP GEF.
"When a SHPP is constructed, the project and reality don't comply
with each other. We don't have proper monitoring procedure over SHPPs,
as the Inspection and public are working separately. We have rivers,
which are so loaded with SHPPs that the river ecosystem starts dying.
And eventually, we have a problem with biodiversity conservation,"
Inga Zarafyan said.
Ashot Avalyan, Deputy Staff Head of Nature Protection Ministry, noted
that there are 162 SHPPs which already operate or are about to be
operated. "It's a large number and this field needs regulation. It's
one of the main tasks of the Nature Protection Ministry, so we have
expressed our willingness for such a jlint project," Ashot Avalyan
said.
Under Ashot Avalyan, a database in the form of "green" passports
in needed for the solution to the problems to regulate the field of
SHPPs. "So far we haven't possessed such data and materials," A.
Avalyan said.
Davit Grigoryan, Head of Water Permit Department of Nature Protection
Ministry, said, "We have many complaints and alarm signals both
from the local population and the business. It's caused serious
alarms signals and concerns. During our examinations we recorded
serious drawbacks, SHPP project deviations both in the construction
and operation, and to a certain extent poor management of water
resources and environmentally incorrect approaches, which all led to
serious environmental problems. As a result, there is need for our
intervention and urgent solution to the problems."
Under Davit Grigoryan, climate changes also affected on this situation,
"The water in our rivers has significantly refused in recent years,
and we shall take into account the targets and challenges we currently
have. Taking into consideration that SHPPs are also business projects,
jobs, investments, which are constructed not just for 1-2 years,
but 25-30 years, we should find the gold mean, which will bring to
the balanced existence of both the Nature Protection Ministry and
the public," David Grigoryan noted.
It's known that the largest investment in SHPPs has been made
by German KfW bank. Inga Zarafyan noted that in May 2015 the bank
experts carried out monitoring in the area of SHPPs, and, as a result,
the Bank has changed its position in regard with SHPPs and wants to
improve its standards.
"The material was developed in the frames of "Supporting reforms in the
sector of small hydro power plants through enabling a dialogue between
civil society and the Ministry of Nature Protection for sustainable
use of river ecosystems" supported by UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme".
http://ecolur.org/en/news/officials/green-passport-to-regulate-shpps/6999/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhlASYqRMtM
15:27 February 06, 2015
EcoLur
100 SHPPs constructed on the rivers of Armenia will be issued green
passports, as "EcoLur" Informational NGO President Inga Zarafyan,
Ashot Avalyan - Deputy Staff Head of Nature Protection Ministry,
and Davit Grigoryan - Head of Water Permit Department of Nature
Protection Ministry stated at the press conference held EcoLur Press
Club on 5 February.
It's the first time that public sector together with Nature Protection
Ministry will conduct a joint monitoring in the SHPPs constructed
on the rivers. This initiative will be carried out in the frames of
"Support to SHPP-relating reforms through the dialogue of public and
RA Nature Protection Ministry for Sustainable Use of River Ecosystems"
with the financial support of the UNDP GEF.
"When a SHPP is constructed, the project and reality don't comply
with each other. We don't have proper monitoring procedure over SHPPs,
as the Inspection and public are working separately. We have rivers,
which are so loaded with SHPPs that the river ecosystem starts dying.
And eventually, we have a problem with biodiversity conservation,"
Inga Zarafyan said.
Ashot Avalyan, Deputy Staff Head of Nature Protection Ministry, noted
that there are 162 SHPPs which already operate or are about to be
operated. "It's a large number and this field needs regulation. It's
one of the main tasks of the Nature Protection Ministry, so we have
expressed our willingness for such a jlint project," Ashot Avalyan
said.
Under Ashot Avalyan, a database in the form of "green" passports
in needed for the solution to the problems to regulate the field of
SHPPs. "So far we haven't possessed such data and materials," A.
Avalyan said.
Davit Grigoryan, Head of Water Permit Department of Nature Protection
Ministry, said, "We have many complaints and alarm signals both
from the local population and the business. It's caused serious
alarms signals and concerns. During our examinations we recorded
serious drawbacks, SHPP project deviations both in the construction
and operation, and to a certain extent poor management of water
resources and environmentally incorrect approaches, which all led to
serious environmental problems. As a result, there is need for our
intervention and urgent solution to the problems."
Under Davit Grigoryan, climate changes also affected on this situation,
"The water in our rivers has significantly refused in recent years,
and we shall take into account the targets and challenges we currently
have. Taking into consideration that SHPPs are also business projects,
jobs, investments, which are constructed not just for 1-2 years,
but 25-30 years, we should find the gold mean, which will bring to
the balanced existence of both the Nature Protection Ministry and
the public," David Grigoryan noted.
It's known that the largest investment in SHPPs has been made
by German KfW bank. Inga Zarafyan noted that in May 2015 the bank
experts carried out monitoring in the area of SHPPs, and, as a result,
the Bank has changed its position in regard with SHPPs and wants to
improve its standards.
"The material was developed in the frames of "Supporting reforms in the
sector of small hydro power plants through enabling a dialogue between
civil society and the Ministry of Nature Protection for sustainable
use of river ecosystems" supported by UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme".
http://ecolur.org/en/news/officials/green-passport-to-regulate-shpps/6999/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhlASYqRMtM