EcoLur
A number of problems and obstacles have emerged because of SHPP operations in Armenia, which increase SHPP riskiness from environmental viewpoint. On 10 November Samvel Pipoyan, Professor at Biology and Teaching Methodology Department, Khachatur Abovyan Armenian State Pedagogical University, Dr. in Biological Sciences, presented these risks to the lecturers and students of the university. In the frames of “Support to the Reforms of SHPPs through a Dialogue between the Public and The Ministry of Nature Protection of the RA for the Purpose of River Ecosystem Use” Program carried out by “EcoLur” NGO Samvel Pipoyan took part in the monitoring of over 70 SHPPs constructed on the rivers of Armenia, the results of which show, “SHPPs are constructed mostly on the riverbeds of small rivers and their water intake head sections usually block the riverbed with a concrete or metallic dam, which results in the waterlogging of the water in small rivers. The volume of the environmental flow left in the river and the structure of fish passways often don’t ensure free movement of fish species and other organisms inhabiting in the river from one part of the river to the other part. The absence of fish-protecting nets and large bars of existing garbage-collecting nets doesn’t ban the fish, particularly the young fish living in the upper reach of the river from finding themselves in SHPP pressure pipelines. The essential part of the fish passways doesn’t comply with the biological requirements and physical abilities of the fish species living in the rivers, which regularly migrate.”
Samvel Pipoyan proposes to apply new model of fish passway of maze type, which will have essential significance for the conservation of fish reserves and biodiversity in the rivers of Armenia.
November 11, 2015 at 18:31