EcoLur
In terms of climate change optimal forested areas for Armenia is 20.1 percent. Hovik Sayadyan, Dr. of Geographical Sciences said about this during the round table entitled "What we lose and what we shall acquire in forest sector in terms of climate change" taken place at EcoLur press club.
"In order to provide that 20.1 percent we must additionally plant 270 thousand ha of forest and the optimal will be 600 thousand ha. And where will that woodland be formed. First of all, they are river catchment basins where the forest coverage must reach 25 %, the green areas of localities (it refers to all the green categories of localities), where the normal value must reach 50 square meters per capita, the suburban areas where in case of attendance of 10 percent of the city population 300 square meters of green area will be needed per capita, field protecting and soil protecting forests. In the last case we must take into account the calculation that 1 ha of forest plants improves 10-15 ha of agricultural land", particularly said Hovik Sayadyan in his speech presenting the surface of optimal forested areas of several countries for comparison.
Presenting the condition of the forests in Armenia Hovik Sayadyan stated that the forest areas of Armenia have a high degree of fragmentation. Over the last two decades the number of the inner islands of forested areas and the corridors and spaces stretching deep to the forest increased as well as the forests edges have become more portioned.
Speaking about the economic value of forest the reporter said, "Due to direct forest use the forests in Armenia make up 20-40 percent of the total economic value. For example according to 1985-1989's data "Hayantar" provided 20 percent of his income and the work of 26 percent of his permanent staff from non-wood forest products. Landscape and tourism are also included in non-wood forest products. ... 1 ha of forest corresponds to 969 dollar economic value in general in which the regulatory role of climate is also included. In case of absorbing 1 ton of carbon the economic value is 20 Euros.
The participants of the round table were as follows: Ruben Petrosyan, Deputy Director, Chief Forester of “Hayantar” (ArmForest) SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Aram Gyulkhasyan, Director of “State Forest Monitoring Center” SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Ghurshudyan, Deputy director of “State Forest Monitoring Center” SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Aram Aghasyan, Head of Specially Protected Areas and Arboretums Management Division of Nature Protection Ministry of the RA, Aram Gabrielyan, National Coordinator of UN Focal Point Convention on Climate Change, Andranik Ghulijanyan Director of “Zikatar” State Preserve, Working Group Manager of UNDP «Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Northeastern Armenia” Program, Diana Harutyunyan, Coordinator of Climate Change Project of UNDP, Armen Gevorgyan National Coordinator of Armenian Branch of the Transboundary Joint Secretariat for the South Caucasus, Artur Alaverdyan Forest Programs Coordinator of WWF-Armenia, Nazeli Vardanyan, President of “Armenian Forests” NGO, Hovik Sayadyan, Dr. of Geographic Sciences and Professor, the working team of EcoLur.
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The “EcoLur” Informational NGO is organizing series of events aimed at public involvement and awareness raising targeted to the future climate change policy directions and development of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) of the Republic of Armenia under UN Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC).
The material is prepared by 'EcoLur' Informational NGO under UNDP Climate Change Program, within the framework of ARM-002/2015 Contract.The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States.
July 30, 2015 at 11:47