HOW TO PREVENT DEFORESTATION?
Support A1+!A five-day practical seminar for 12 journalists started Monday in Caucasus Media Institute. The seminar is focused on covering environmental problems.
Karine Danelyan, the chair of For the Sake of Stable Development association, finds Armenian laws not so bad saying it would be very well if we can observe the existing laws.
Armenia’s top environmental concern is Sevan Lake and the country’s second biggest worry is deforestation. Armenian Environment Ministry says areas covered with forests make 11,2 percent of the republic’s territory. Environmentalists say only 7-8 percent. It means 0,1 hectare of green area per capo.
Armenia’s Forests organisation chair Nazeli Vardanyan says it is 2,7 times less comparing with other countries.
A decade ago deforestation was due to energetic crisis and used as fuel to heat homes, now forests are being cut for woodworking needs and other purposes and even exported.
Customs Service says 80,000 cubic meters woods were exported to Turkey, France, Germany, Italy and Iran last year.
Besides, illegal cutting is widespread in Armenia. Environment Ministry says 700,000 cubic meters has been illegally cut last year.
Nazeli Vardanyan thinks woods should be imported in the republic instead of exporting.
