EcoLur
In 2013 in the south of Armenia, in Syunik region “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex was created. Specially protected areas of nature with different protection regimes are included in “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex such as “Shikahogh” State Reserve, “Arevik” National Park, “Platan Park”, “Zangezur”, “Khustup”, “Boghakar” and “Black Lake” State Reserves. 70 000 ha of total area is managed by one unit. KFW Development Bank promised to lend 8.25 million Euros for the creation of the complex.
In 2015 “Union of Workers’ Rights Protection” NGO realized a “Monitoring of social and environmental risks of the specially protected areas of nature in the south of Armenia”. In the framework of the project the following problems were detected:
Problem of “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex management,
Problem of control over areas,
Problem of Transparency in the activities of the Government and KFW bank realizing the creation of “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex,
The problems of lack of awareness and integration of communities in the creation of “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex,
The problems of the influence of mining activity and Small HPPs in “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex and in its surrounding area.
Artur Ghazaryan, the President of the “Union of Workers’ Rights Protection” NGO, particularly stated in the interview with EcoLur, “Syunik Region is the richest one in natural resources in Armenia. It is rich in forests, biodiversity, metal mines and water resources (EcoLur: in Syunik Region the RA Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources gave 43 rights of subsoil use, 11 of which are for metal mines. 29 rights of subsoil use are provided for geological research, 26 of which are for metal mines. 31 Small HPPs are built on the rivers of Syunik Region, another 12 Small HPPs are being built and Vorotan HPP Comlex operates.
We worry about the activities in action which are out of control today. The most important problems are mining ones, if in “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex and its surrounding areas licenses of exploration and subsoil use are given. In our opinion the mining licenses provided until today in the biosphere complex and its surrounding areas should be cancelled. It refers not only to mining licenses but also to exploration ones. In the biosphere complex an exploration can’t be realized for the purpose of future mining activity.
The other problem is the Small HPPs which have an influence on the biosphere complex. We all know that permissions of building Small HPPs were acquired both in the biosphere complex and in its surrounding areas. In this case the position of the government is incomprehensible, either. Rivers are one of the most important links of nature. We think that on Meghri River, Tsav River, in the surrounding areas of “Zangezur” Biosphere Complex the licenses provided for building and exploiting Small HPPs must be ceased and cancelled.
First of all, the whole process should be controlled by the government and donors. The donors should follow that the money is spent properly and on target.
The next problem is connected with the communities. We met with villagers and governors of communities, researched the areas. It was found out that the borders of the biosphere complex aren’t specified. The communities don’t know which lands belonging to the community are included in the biosphere complex. There is a social problem: people pick up herbs, berries. Today they don’t know where they may pick up and where not. All the communities in the surrounding parts of the biosphere complex have serious social problems. Alternative activities should be conducted to solve that problem. They can be small productions in the sphere of agriculture, tourism which can create vacancies and be profitable for the community.
The next problem is the transparency and accountability of the whole process. We think that KFW Bank is not so transparent in its behavior with the implementation of this project. KFW bank signed a contract with the government for the creation of the biosphere complex. The fact that it’s mentioned in the contract that the government bears the liabilities of today’s process, doesn’t mean yet that KFW is exempt from bearing liabilities. In our opinion the bank should control both the transparency of the implementation of the process and the process of proper money spending. If the governors of the communities don’t know about the borders themselves KFW bank isn’t either aware of this process or works not transparently.
We offer the government to work with the public. The communities should be aware of these processes, they should know about the benefits and losses, the risks should be estimated. We give the same advice to KFW Bank, the one which financed this process, to work much more transparently than we see today. And we want that the villagers know what the whole thing is about. The inhabitants including the Mayor don’t know what the thing is about. They don’t know what the biosphere complex is, what regime can be. That is, the lack of awareness comes from not working transparently. The contact with the public and NGOs should also be so transparent that we don’t have any questions”.
May 28, 2015 at 11:43