Siranuysh Gevorgyan, ArmeniaNow
The Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) has initiated a project, if realized, a biodiversity national center will be founded in Armenia. The project is called ‘Ecological Education and National Center for Preservation of Biodiversity’.
FPWC head Ruben Khachatryan told ArmeniaNow the project is still in the stage of development; however, at the same time he considered it to be quite realistic.
The main components of the project are a zoological or Biodiversity Park and two-year environmental college.
“The Biodiversity Park will be mainly concentrated on South-Caucasian animal specimen with its small substructures, for example the southern school of the zoological park, designed for students and teachers,” Khachatryan said, adding that South-Caucasian plant species, as well as climatic zones will be presented in the park.
According to Khachatryan, zoos are currently being changed world wide, aiming to become educational centers.
“People’s attitude towards animals is now being changed. An animal is not a means of amusement, as it is in the dolphinarium, but it is rather a means of studying, being educated and communicating with nature. When a person attends a zoo, he or she must get information about our involvement in nature, as well as about the ecological chain, etc, and not only see an animal in a cage,” Khachatryan says.
According to him, in the Biodiversity Park an animal will have conditions close to its natural climatic conditions. Spacious cages will be created, where animals can live with their mates, which, according to Khachatryan, is very important for the recovery of this or that animal specimen.
“This can also promote the return of animals to the wildlife if needed during the recovery process,” Khachatryan says.
As for the two-year college, environmental sciences will be taught there.
“It will be realized through practical education, for example, specialists will be trained who will be able to present an organization’s environmental trajectory, calculate its impact upon the environment. Specialists for working for the environmental media will also be trained,” Khachatryan says.
According to Khachatryan the college will be unique not only in Armenia but also in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) region.
The project was introduced to the Ministry of Nature Protection and Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, to Yerevan Municipality and to different international organizations. Khachatryan says that the full implementation of the project will last five-six years and the funds range from \\\$ 15-\\\$ 30 million. The German Development Bank is interested in financing the project.
Even though Khachatryan says that a territory designed for the Biodiversity Park has not been designated yet, press publications state that it will be constructed in Hrazdan Gorge. Khachatryan, however, rejects those speculations. Karen Manvelyan, Director of the World Wildlife Fund Armenian branch, at the interview with Mediamax, has recently said that he will be against the project if it is realized in Hrazdan Gorge.
“Such a project needs a flat country, small hills will not be an obstacle, but it [park] cannot be located in a gorge. Under our conditions, the existence of animals in that territory may result in land erosion, and horned cattle will suffer,” Manvelyan said, adding that there are almost no such zones in Yerevan.
Sahak Abovyan, Director of the Zoological Park of Yerevan, is also aware of the project. He told ArmeniaNow that it would be better to reconstruct and renovate the 70-year-old Zoological Park of Yerevan instead of constructing a new one.
“People are used to the old one [park], they know its location quite well. Besides, everything old is much preferred,” Abovyan says.
(More than 2,300 animals reside in 34 hectares territory of the Zoological Park of Yerevan. The State Budget of Armenia annually assigns 194 million drams (\\\$ 539,000) to the park.)
Abovyan believes that such a project can be realized only in some 12-20, and even in 30 years.
“If it [project] is realized, it will be good, but is seems to be a dream,” Abovyan says.
FPWC head Khachatryan rejected all the news that after the construction of the new Biodiversity Park, the current zoological and botanical parks of Yerevan will be closed.
March 22, 2011