Nelli Danielyan, RadioLur
A regional seminar aimed at raising awareness on international treaties in environment protection and promoting cooperation has started in Yerevan.
Armenia is already a member to a dozen of international agreements on environmental matters, but this fact seems to have no significant effect on the state of nature in Armenia. “What measures have been taken to enact the international documents ratified by our country?” I asked Aram Harutyunyan, the Minister of Nature Protection of RA. He replied that they are taking part in all the meetings and are very active in order not to fall behind from international processes.
Armenia has no law on pesticides which is the current topic for discussions, though Armenia ratified this agreement still in 2003. The officials of the Ministry of Nature Protection shared out concern and promised the law to be prepared by 2011.
Nevertheless, the substances banned from the 70’s still pose danger for our environment. A vivid example of such situation is the pesticide mortuary in Nubarashen, which our country inherited from the former Soviet Union. In the past this depository was constructed in a land slide zone, and now its frail and cracked walls threaten to emit 500 tons of poison into environment. By the way, our country hasn’t outlined exact measures in this direction as well.
As Head of Department for Chemical Substances and Harmful Waste Management Anahit Aleksandryan told us during the interview, no funds are still available for this purpose.
November 27, 2009