Hakob Simidyan Summed Up Year 2024

Hakob Simidyan Summed Up Year 2024

On January 10, 2025, Environment Minister Hakob Simidyan summarized the results of the ministry's activities for 2024 during a press conference.

International Cooperation

At the start of the conference, Hakob Simidyan presented the international programs and initiatives implemented during the previous year:

"Currently, 29 national programs are being implemented, with a total grant component of $100.6 million. Additionally, the ministry is coordinating five regional grant programs. During 2024, 12 grant programs were approved and launched with a total budget of $13.6 million. In 2024, a program on biodiversity with a budget of $26 million was launched, which was significant in the context of hosting the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity. Armenia will host the 17th Conference of the Parties in 2026," he stated.

Legislative Reforms

Hakob Simidyan touched on the legislative reforms implemented in 2024:

"Sixty-nine legal acts were adopted, developed by the ministry, including four laws, 41 government decisions, two prime minister’s resolutions, and 22 ministerial normative orders. A new climate law has been developed," he noted.

Water Resources

Hakob Simidyan mentioned that a unified online platform for transferring water intake data has been launched:

"Currently, 1,327 water meters are connected to the platform. In 2024, 571 water use permits were issued," the minister stated.

Lake Sevan

"In 2024, Lake Sevan's water level increased. As of December 31, 2024, the water level of Lake Sevan reached 1900.39 meters, which is 22 cm higher than on January 1. The total volume of water released from Lake Sevan made up 131.038 million cubic meters, which is 97.196 million cubic meters less than in 2023 and the lowest figure in the last 15 years. Through the Arpa-Sevan tunnel, 84 million cubic meters of water were transferred to Lake Sevan in 2024, which is 73 million cubic meters more than that of the previous year," Hakob Simidyan noted.

Referring to fish stocks in the lake, the minister noted:

"Significant progress has been made in the restoration of the whitefish in Sevan. As a result of recent years' efforts, we now have about 2,000 individuals, enabling further restoration work with the maternal stock and the reintroduction of whitefish to Lake Sevan. The restoration of Sevan trout stocks also continued in 2024. As a result, 389,300 young fish of the Summer and Gegharkuni sub-species were released into Lake Sevan in 2024. This figure was 231,000 in 2023."

In 2023, the industrial fishing quota for whitefish was set at 679 tons, out of which 652.6 tons were actually caught. A total of 44.1 million AMD was paid in environmental usage fees. In the past year, 2,699 illegal crayfish traps, 1,376 fishing nets, and 68 boats were removed from Lake Sevan.

Forests

In 2024, 337.4 hectares of forest restoration and afforestation were carried out:
"A total of 677,480 saplings with a closed root system were grown, and 9 hectares of nurseries were established. In 2024, supplementary work was carried out on forests planted on 495.42 hectares in previous years. Firewood waste totaling 41,000 cubic meters was provided to 7,473 beneficiaries in forest-adjacent settlements," the minister noted.

Biodiversity and Protected Areas

Speaking about biodiversity conservation measures, Hakob Simidyan highlighted the release of 10 noble deer into the wild.

Environmental Subsidies

According to Hakob Simidyan, environmental subsidies totaling 1,046.1 million drams were approved in 2024 for the implementation of environmental and health-related measures in 15 affected communities in 2025:

"Environmental subsidies amounted to about 322.6 million drams for five communities in 2024," he said.

Atmospheric Air

The minister noted that, based on annual observations, there has been no significant change in air pollution in Yerevan in recent years:

"Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center SNCO of Environment Ministry monitors sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, and undifferentiated dust particles in the atmospheric air. Observations are conducted weekly at five stationary and 45 mobile monitoring stations in Yerevan. The stationary stations analyze the above-mentioned components, while the mobile ones focus only on sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide data. The monitoring system we currently have has not recorded any new alarming data compared to the past. Our belief is that public concerns have arisen due to the installation of sensor devices by the Yerevan Municipality, mainly at construction sites, as well as some concerning figures reported by a Swiss organization's website. According to international standards, there is still no confirmation that the data from these devices are accurate; deviations of up to 40% are possible. These devices are more auxiliary tools for the modern system we aim to acquire soon," Hakob Simidyan noted.

According to him, the problem is not as terrifying or dangerous as public anxiety suggests:
"The government has already funded the acquisition of two new devices, which will provide real-time, comprehensive data on air pollution within the next two months, helping with policy development. Under the cooperation program with Japan, the acquisition of three more similar devices is planned. As a result, with five devices and supporting tools, we will have state-of-the-art equipment to accurately determine air pollution levels in Yerevan," Hakob Simidyan noted.

Mining

Speaking about mining, Hakob Simidyan said:

"Our focus is on the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) law. It is strict, and many types of activities subject to EIA examination primarily involve subsoil use and mining. Upon receiving information about violations, we notify the Inspection. I ask the public to report any mining operators who you believe are not following the rules, and we will address it."

Regarding the operation of the Amulsar mine, the minister responded:
"Lydian Armenia has all the necessary permits to operate the mine. Specifically, regarding the EIA permit, Amulsar underwent two examinations in 2014 and 2016. Currently, there is no legal or judicial basis to suspend this process. Soil management always involves risks to nature. However, modern tools and technologies can help minimize or neutralize environmental impact. If we conduct an impact assessment examination for any activity type considered potentially harmful to nature and the activity type, location, and other conditions are permissible, we set requirements during the activity, including taxes to fund subsidies that reduce the impact on the environment and human health," the minister said.

Under the Building Energy Efficiency Modernization Program, around 15 buildings were co-financed and thermally modernized, benefiting approximately 50,000 individuals.



January 13, 2025 at 16:51