The Republic of Armenia has signed three major conventions to protect the environment. These are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Armenia has undertaken commitments under these three Conventions to fulfill. By ratifying the Framework Convention on Climate Change, Armenia has committed itself to increasing forest landscapes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and so on. Former Deputy Minister of Nature Protection Ayser Ghazaryan told Iravaban.net that the reasons for his resignation were also linked to the convention.
“Armenia today has a problem with the existing forest cover. With the scope of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification we have stated that we will ensure neutral degradation, that is, we will seek to reduce the consequences of our adverse actions and create a sustainable ecosystem. It would be right for us to resume the existing forests under the Framework Convention on Climate Change, but Armenia has pledged to increase the forests. There is no harmony between the Conventions,” Ayser Ghazaryan said, adding that this is a result of the blindness of the agencies responsible for sectoral policy.
In December 2018, at the UN’s 24th World Conference on Climate Protection (COP24) in Katowice Armenia had reaffirm its commitments undertaken in 2015.
According to Ayser Ghazaryan, the announced in 2015 was not realistic and pursued other goals.
“Within the framework of the convention, a country that had taken a higher standard and was ambitious, could expect more international financial support in the form of preferential loans and grants under the Green Climate Fund. We have undertaken a commitment that is not financially and technically feasible, and we will have a serious reputation issue on the international platforms in about five years,” Ghazaryan said, noting that such a “solution” would be a benefit not only for groups operating in Armenia but also for international organizations, who are trying to represent Armenia as a “pioneer” in front of big states, pointing the numbers a small country with limited possibilities has reserved.
According to Ghazaryan, Armenia should revise and restate its commitments. According to the former deputy minister, the numbers announced as a result of recount will be reduced 3-4 times; “There are relevant international platforms (IUCN) where there are pre-calculated numbers. For Armenia, 100 thousand hectares have been calculated for one square kilometer.”
Our neighbor Georgia has chosen other tactics within the framework of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. At least 200,000 hectares have been estimated for Georgia, but by 2030 the country has pledged to increase 1,500 hectares of forested land on the other purpose lands, restoring 7,500 hectares of corroded, degraded forest through natural growth support.
Armenia, in Katowice, reaffirmed the number announced for 2050, which is about 265,000 hectares and all for the purpose of afforestation.
Georgia – 1500 hectares of afforestation, Armenia – 265 thousand hectares, while the former has quite mesophilic areas, annual precipitation is higher, soil conditions are better. Instead, Georgia has pledged to use some 260,000 hectares of sustainable forest management approaches.
Ayser Ghazaryan insists that Armenia has neither the land, the financial, nor the technical capabilities to achieve that goal, “That was one of the reasons for my resignation. As much as I tried to stop the former negative inertia, it failed.”
Minister of Environment Eric Grigoryan, however, disagrees with the above. According to him, recalculation is currently being carried out to confirm the final numbers.
In his interview with Iravaban.net, the Minister particularly mentioned: “Areas where we cannot realize forestation geographically and areas where these cannot be implemented due to socioeconomic conditions cannot be implemented should be taken into account. These are urban, arable, fruit orchards. We will have a clearer number once these works are completed.”
According to the minister, this year the state has allocated 424 million drams for afforestation and so far 400,000 seedlings have been planted and 700 seasonal workers have been involved.
“In the case of large-scale projects that we are planning to implement, there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands of people who will be involved from the provinces to carry out these activities,” Grigoryan said.
On 16 October, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced at the annual Global Innovation Forum 2019. Transforming Intelligence Forum that 10 million trees will be planted in Armenia on 10 October, 2020. We inquired from Eric Grigoryan whether there are so many seedlings in Armenia or are there resources to plant such a number, to which the Minister replied: “We will plant. Around 1 million will be provided by “ArmForest”, about 1 million – one of our main partners. We expect 1 million from one of the partner countries. We plan to import the majority from Russia, Georgia, and Belarus. The types of trees that are characteristic of our forest areas will be imported. Invasive species will not be introduced into forest areas. Of course, we will do the 10 million. “
The minister notes that forest specialists have already allocated 7,000 hectares at the moment, and specialists are working on site. Most of the trees will be planted in forest areas, in Lori, Tavush and Syunik regions. When planting the plants, there will be no need for irrigation: “I am sure we will manage.”
According to Diana Harutyunyan, UNDP Climate Change Program Coordinator, the issues raised by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and the Framework Convention on Climate Change are in line with one another, because today Armenia has a deepening of desertification as a result of deforestation; “If you do some land development somewhere, it has to be compensated by creating a better land layer, by planting forests. It seems different, but as a specialist I can say that the two conventions have the same direction.”
According to her, 265,000 hectares may seem like a large number, but there are many factors to consider.
“We have to bear in mind that we have the problem of eliminating the field protection layers, the problem of the absence of forest layers along the road for road safety. We have unused land in the communities, the main reason being the lack of irrigation. If there are layers of forest protection in these lands, wind-eroded soils will have more favorable conditions for moisture retention and favorable conditions for agriculture. It’s called agro-ecology, when forestry and agriculture are developing in harmony,” Diana Harutyunyan said, adding that we would have better agricultural conditions in the dry climate if the system works.
Work with communities is also important here, as they are more likely to choose the land they need for reforestation. When forest layers can be self-restored, they can also be considered as sources of wood.
“But it will take about 15-20 years for forest zones to be able to form and become self-regulated,” Diana Harutyunyan said.
Related to Nikol Pashinyan’s statement on planting 10 million trees Diana Harutyunyan mentioned that it was not a day’s work. There would be fall and spring tree planting seasons.
“If we are able to consolidate the public and if everyone has a role to play in this, it will work. Countries that have faced such ambitious issues have been able to involve the schoolchildren, members of the communities, and the unemployed for a certain fee. Unless we set ambitious and far-reaching goals, we will not be able to cross the halfway point. One should not criticize that they are too ambitious, but do everything to ensure that they are not ambitious, but realistic,” UNDP Climate Change Program Coordinator Diana Harutyunyan said.
In order to avoid environmental disaster and prevent a climate crisis, those in charge of the sector must take the necessary steps to prevent the climate crisis and not ignore the scientific evidence that confirms the impending environmental disaster.
After all, you can steal the childhood and dreams of thousands of children.
Take action now!
Yevgenya Hambardzumyan
