Mining and Ecotourism Incompatible

On 19 July EcoLur Press Club hosted a press conference devoted to development issues in Armenia. Press Club guests Movses Manukyan, Director of Writers’ House in Tsaghkadzor, “Healthy Hrazdan” initiative member and Apres Zohrabyan, ecotourism expert and guide, spoke about tourism perspectives and problems. “Under the governmental decision, tourism is recognized as a priority in the country. And the same government declares development of mining industry a priority,” Movses Manukyan thinks. Under him, in such a small country as Armenia is it’s impossible for both fields not to be interconnected and not to oppose to each other. “Hrazdan area is also Yerevan lungs, if to consider it catches Marmarik gorge, Tsaghkadzor, Aghveran and Arzaqan and Hanqavan mineral sources. Here tourism is developed, and millions of investments are made and continue to be made. At the same time, the government gave licenses for the prospecting and development of 8 gold and polymetallic mines, but if they are all to be mined, tourism will suffer,” Manukyan thinks.

Manukyan said for several years they had been raising the issue in front of the government to separate these fields to decide which region is designed for mining industry and which one – not. But the government ignores the problem.

Apres Zohrabyan said that starting 1998 the number of tourists has increased by 20 times. “Now near 800,000 tourists visit the country,” he said. “Armenia is rich in flora and fauna, Armenia occupied only 0.01% of the Soviet space, but it had 30% of all species,” he said.

Apres Zohrabyan considers the main obstacle for tourism development the absence of any policy run by the government. “14% of our territory are occupied with specially protected areas. Our country is the progenitress of wheat. But Erebuni reserve of grain crops dries out, while its territory is developed,” the expert said. The low level of business and science needed for ecotoruism is also an obstacle. There are more serious reasons: there is a tailing dump near Akhtala temple, but surrounding land areas are polluted. And this is a real policy, which hinders the ecotourism,” Apres Zohrabyan said.