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August 14, 2008 NCI Tackles the Sevan Issue
Yerevan—Today, the National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) convened a public hearing entitled “Restoration of the Ecosystem of Lake Sevan: A Temporary Halt in the Restoration Process, or An Undesirable Finish Line?” The meeting brought together government representatives, MPs, scholars, social and political activists, NGO officials, analysts, and members of the press. The roundtable was called to discuss the challenges facing Lake Sevan’s bionetwork—and specifically with respect to the pumping out of the lake’s water—and the National Assembly’s special session, to be held on August 19, during which the members of the parliament will examine a law proposal on making amendments to the law concerning the ecology of Lake Sevan. It is worth to mention that in line with this draft proposal, the annual amount of maximum water release, which previously was 240 million cubic meters, is expected to increase and reach up to 360 million. In his intervention, Mher Mkrtumian of the State Committee on Water Economy reflected on the reasons behind the aforesaid governmental proposal. According to the speaker, this decision was made in consideration of the current drought and the deficit of irrigation water at the country’s agricultural areas. He also pointed to the insufficient water level at Azat and Aparan Reservoirs and of the Hrazdan River and all this, in Mkrtumian’s view, calls for additional water release from Lake Sevan. He noted that 213 million cubic meters already have been pumped out from the lake so far and, since the irrigation season is not over, additional water still is in need. “And the release of up to 360 cubic meters of water in 2008 will not jeopardize Lake Sevan and therefore the relevant concerns are baseless,” Mkrtumian stated. In her turn, Evelina Ghukasian of the Institute of Hydroecology and Fishbreeding spoke about the key pressing issues of Lake Sevan that challenge the lake’s entire ecosystem. Reflecting on the lack of atmospheric precipitation and the climatic changes, which the government points to very often, Ghukasian mentioned that these phenomena have an adverse affect both on agriculture and Lake Sevan. She informed that the lake’s isolating layer, which is situated at the bottom of the lake and enables the lake to clean itself, is not restored until now and this is the basis for those scientific calculations which show that the water level of Lake Sevan needs to be increased by at least six meters. And in response to the government’s approach that the irrigation needs must be met on the account of Lake Sevan, Ghukasian remarked with regret that, “Lake Sevan has become a cheap water resource which can be ‘spent,’ but without making other ‘payments.’ The lake already is unstable and each new fluctuation, whether raising or reducing its water level, can become crucial.”
The next speaker, chairwoman Karine Danielian of the “Sustainable Human Development” NGO and representative of the Armenian National Committee of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), examined the mysterious aspects of the restoration process of Lake Sevan’s ecosystem. She noted that according to their most recent observations the Azat and Aparan Reservoirs truly are not to their full capacity but, still, this picture is quite different than what the government portrays. Danielian also gave statistical data on the amount of atmospheric precipitation in 2008 and, according to the speaker, these facts and figures are not too unusual in comparison with the other unfavorable years. And considering this and other circumstances, Danielian did not hide her bewilderment as to why the amount of water release in 2008 should no less than double the amount that was pumped out in those adverse years. Also speaking about Lake Sevan’s actual environmental challenges—some of which are the result of an increase in water level, and a newly emerged underwater and nearshore vegetation and the resulting marshes—the speaker expressed concern that the lake’s cleaning process is not in full capacity and asked: “Is this likewise linked to this proposal by the government to stop the increase of the water level?” The roundtable discussants also examined other relevant matters and expressed their shared view against the government’s draft law on augmenting the amount of water being released from Lake Sevan. They also proposed that a communiqué, which will include all the concerns and opposing reviews made during this public hearing, be prepared prior to the special parliamentary session and asked that the Heritage Party’s Parliamentary Group present that communiqué to the special session of the National Assembly. The discussion participants also agreed to reconvene after August 19, when the National Assembly’s position with respect to this issue will become clear. And this position will outline the civil society’s future steps to be taken with the support of NCI and environmental NGOs.
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