EcoLur
Whether it's possible to adopt proper measures for mitigating the consequences of climate changes, if the data of the National Cadastre of Greenhouse Gases doesn't reflect the reality? Artur Gevorgyan, Expert of Second National Communication on Climate Change, expressed his concerns in this regard. 'In 1990 the state of the forests in Armenia was favorable. Forests in Armenia had huge contribution in the consumption of greenhouses gases equivalent to 837,000 tons of CO2. But the situation drastically changed after uncontrollable felling of forest in the volumes exceeding their annual growth. This made forests turn into source of greenhouse gas emissions instead of absorption. As a result, the balance between forest growth and its felling was violated and in 2000 we had increase in all indicators on emissions equivalent to 441,000 tons of CO2,' Arthur Gevorgyan said.
Under Gevorgyan, the data of the previous Cadastre data were distorted in the project of the third National Communication. Amendments were made to the indicators of 2000 in the guise of corrections. And instead of emissions equivalent to 441,000 tons of CO2, the Cadastre mentioned absorption equivalent to 470,800 tons, i.e. drastically different situation. It's unclear what causes such huge difference in the assessments of two different national experts (almost 1 million ton of CO2).
The submitted project doesn't reflect the dynamic of greenhouse gases in regard with the loss of green territories in due manner. For example, many forest-covered areas were flooded in Lake Sevan, which is officially recorded in the program of measures on Lake Sevan. This was supposed to be clearly seen in the Cadastre in the form of emission of greenhouse gases with a separate line - Forest Land converted to Wetland. It's an attempt to conceal from public negative consequences of running forestry enterprise in a manner leading to the degradation of forests and deforestation of Armenia,' Artur Gevorgyan said.
June 13, 2014 at 17:47