Minister of Environment Romanos Petrosyan addressed another letter to the Executive Secretaries of environmental conventions, international organizations and partners, drawing their attention to the severe consequences of the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey and the involvement of foreign terrorists and mercenaries. During the war, the Azerbaijani armed forces used internationally banned cluster munitions, weapons containing white phosphorus or termite substances against the people of Artsakh. Similar actions caused irreparable damage to the environment, ranging from large-scale wildfires to poisoning of air, soil, water, flora and fauna. Such hazards threaten the environment, having a significant impact on the framework of international environmental treaties, the deadlines for fulfilling obligations under the conventions.
The entire amount of environmental damage is still subject to detailed monitoring and assessment.
Note, that the Azerbaijani aggression was not limited to Artsakh, but extended to the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
Thus, presently Armenia is facing a great risk of environmental dangers, in particular:
- Loss of forest areas, forest degradation and increase of risks of wildfires
- The fires deliberately caused damage to "Artsvaberd" and "Syunik" forest enterprises
- Loss or disruption of water, sanitation, waste infrastructure, tailings, etc.
- Physical damage directed to landscapes, geodiversity, biodiversity
- A large amount of debris and ruins that can cause air and soil pollution and etc.
In this period of challenges for Armenia, it is impossible to deal with such severe consequences of the war alone.
The RA Ministry of Environment and Minister Romanos Petrosyan urge the international community to be actively involved and to assist in the detailed assessment of the environmental damage in Armenia, in an effort to mitigate the critical situation in the border area. The letter was sent to:
- UN Armenia Resident Coordinator Mr. Shombi Sharp
- Secretary General to the Ramsar Convention Ms. Martha Urrego
- Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
- Executive Secretary of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) Ms. Jacques Trouvilliez
- Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Ms. Amy Fraenkel
- Secretary General of the Bern Convention Ms. Ursula Sticker
- Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Ms. Inger Andersen
- Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Mr. Bruno Oberle
- European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Mr. Frans Timmermans
- EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries at European Commission Virginijus Sinkevičius, as RA Environment Ministry informs.
January 18, 2021 at 16:49