Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Armenia Thursday evening on a two-day visit. His agenda: the Russian military base, ongoing discussion on the “frozen” Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and a visit to the genocide memorial. But one thing that was not made a priority was the environmental crisis currently gripping Armenia.
The tiny mountainous nation may soon become a desert, environmentalists say.
Human logging in Armenia wipes out an estimated 750,000 cubic meters of forest coverage each year. Today only 8 percent of the country is forested. That’s down from a peak of more than 40 percent, according to the World Bank.
At the current rate of deforestation, environmentalists say desertification will take place in the next 50 years.
To make matters worse, the changing global climate is threatening the last fragments of the country’s forests.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) warns that “Armenia’s future economic development will depend on the decisions that the current generation makes about investments in adaptation [to climate change].” The group recently released its findings in a study conducted by the Stockholm Environment Institute called the “Socio-Economic Impact of Climate Change in Armenia.”
“Armenia is focused on economic and social impacts when it comes to development, but the third aspect of sustainable development is environmental impacts and this is not being adequately addressed,” said Jason Sohigian, deputy director of the Armenia Tree Project, a non-governmental organization working to reforest Armenia.
“Business and economic development have been identified as a priority,” he says. "That's obviously very important, but business and life itself are supported by natural ecosystem services like forests, water, soil, and clean air, which often can't be easily replaced when they are degraded or depleted.”
The Armenia Tree Project, based in the U.S. state of Massachusetts is trying to revive Armenia’s lost forests. In the last 16 years, the small organization has planted more than 3.5 million trees around the country. But with the current rate of deforestation, the group's efforts may not be enough to solve the country’s problem.
“One or two organizations with small budgets cannot reforest Armenia,” said Areg Maghakian,associate director of the Armenian Tree Project. “The government must realize that this is an issue of national security. If we as a country are serious about reforestation, then the initiative must be taken by the government.”
The tiny country, nestled in the southern pocket of the Caucasus, lost many trees during the energy crisis and economic blockade in the 1990s. Two decades later, experts say illegal logging and lucrative lumber trading have done greater damage.
“The deforestation started spontaneously in the 1990s,” said Hakob Sanasaryan chairman of the non-profit organization, Armenia's Union of Greens. Sanasaryan says the exploitation of forest resources got worse when powerful statesmen monopolized resources and began to profit from importing firewood to the Ararat Valley.
The demand for wood has created a multimillion-dollar lumber export business. In the last five years, wood exports have seen a 10-fold increase, most of which were shipped to places like Italy and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Republic of Armenia's Statistical Service.
Some environmentalists blame Armenia’s Environment Ministry because the forests are state-owned, and are supposed to be protected by law; but several firms in the lumber business have managed to obtain licenses from the ministry so that they could log legally.
“The problem is our leaders are more concerned about maintaining power than helping the country,” said Kharik Hovhannisyan, an environmental expert in Armenia. “A lot of them are scared to speak out and to honestly express their opinions, for fear of losing their position.”
To date, the Minister of Nature Protection Aram Harutyunyan has yet to respond to an emailed interview inquiry about the environmental crisis taking place in his country.
“When we cut forests, we are contributing to climate change with our own hands,” said Hovhannisyan. “There is a natural climate change, and one caused by humans. Armenians are propelling this.”
“No water, no heat, no electricity”
Dwindling forest land has also threatened Armenia’s water resources. The country’s forest cover is fundamental to the quality and quantity of water resources, environmentalists say.
In the center of Yerevan, only a handful of homes have the luxury of 24-hour running water. Each month, a French-run company managing Yerevan’s water distribution sends charts to all households, detailing the times that running water will be available. For most people, this is actually an improvement on the previous system.
“Now they don’t have to guess when they will have water,” said Abgar Yeghoyan, chairman of Consumer Rights Protection in Yerevan. “The amount of water you have during the day really depends on where you live and what floor your apartment is on. Some people have two hours, some people have eight.”
But environmentalists say Armenia is not short on fresh water supply; on the contrary, it has more than 80 medium-to-large water reservoirs. They say the problem is how to distribute water resources and maintain infrastructure.
“We have enough water, enough resources in this country, but it is not being managed well,” said Maghakian of the Armenian Tree Project. “There’s so much potential for this country, if we are really thinking of the future.”
With climate change a reality, environmentalists are painting a bleak future for Armenia.
The First National Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change warned that a two-degree Celsius increase in Armenia over the 21st century will decrease the total annual flow of water by 15 to 20 percent.
“This would devastate Armenia,” said Sohigian of the Armenian Tree Project, adding that even major water sources like Lake Sevan can't provide water forever.
“You can’t bring back the beauty that once existed in Armenia,” said Hovhannisyan. “Even if you spend millions of dollars, you can’t achieve what was once was here. If you lose water, you lose life in this world.”
By: Diana Markosian
Photos courtesy of Ecoera, NGO
