Gas Price Increase Big Hit For Our Forests

The price increase in gas, electricity, bare necessity things and transportation will bring to the total impoverishment of the Armenian population. Under such conditions the conservation of natural resources in Armenia, particularly forest is impossible. On July 26 “EcoLur” Press Club hosted ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan who expressed this opinion.

“Insignificant increase in gas will make use wood water heating, cooking, even making a cup of coffee, which is done even now. Near-forest areas drastically refuse to use gas and proceed to using forests, whether they want it or not,” Hranush Kharatyan said. Under her, even the fear to be fines doesn’t keep people away from illegal tree felling. “We are in an experimental state. We are eating each other now. Under such condition self-protection intuition is activating, which is demonstrated at the expense of our resources,” Hranush Kharatyan said. The other problem is making super profits from natural resources by a small group of people, while the majority is getting poorer and poorer. Hransuh Kharatyan mentioned that the studies they conducted two years ago showed that the resources in near-forest areas are used in different ways by people.