Perch Bojukyan: Vanadzor Aarhus Center Coordinator, www.aarhus.am
• According to forest registration for 1993, the forest fund accounts for 459.900 ha, which accounts for 11.2% of the territory in Armenia. Currently, forest fund accounts for 334.100 ha, which makes up 8% of the territory in Armenia. The average indicator for forest effectiveness used to account for 3.6, now it's below 3. The average completeness of forests accounted for 0.55, now it's 0.3, which already can't be considered as a forest, but bushes.
• The green zone per capita in Armenia is currently 27 times less than in CIS countries.
• Factual tree felling exceed planned tree felling by 10-15 times.
On 19 and 20 August discussions and courses were held for schoolchildren in Shnogh, Shamlugh, Odzun, Yeghegnut and Gargar devoted to these most serious issues. The project is implemented in the frames of “Road Show” program by ENPI EAST FLAG, World Bank and 'Forests of Armenia' NGO. Experts Nazeli Vardanyan, Inga Zarafyan and Amalia Hambardzumyan had meetings with community heads, community municipality employees, forestry enterprise specialists, community residents and discussed forest management, conservation and legislation issues and the needs of the community residents. Both quality and quantity indicators of forests have deteriorated. The pressure on forest has also increased related with the deterioration of the social state of people, lack or absence of management, non-availability of economic programs, insufficient funds of communities. There are no environmental, social and economic funding mechanisms to ensure effective public participation. There is need for complex state program for reforestation and forest recovery integrated into all spheres of economy, infrastructures and levels of management.
August 27, 2015 at 11:05