EcoLur
February 2 is marked as the World Wetlands Day. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Armenia joined the Ramsar Convention in 1993 and now it has three areas with wetland status of international significance. EcoLur Press Club hosted the press conference with Karen Jenderedjian, the Focal Point Coordinator of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 31 January.
Three areas in Armenia have been recognized as wetlands of international status: Lake Sevan basin (490,231 hа), Lake Arpi (3,230 hа), Khor Virap (50 hа). These areas have rich biodiversity: 245 algae species, 135 moss species, 622 plant species, 1000 invertebrate species, 48 fish species, 8 amphibian species, 4 reptile species, 135 bird species, and 8 mammal species.
Like other countries Armenia is losing its valuable wetlands because of human intervention. Sometimes it’s too late to change anything, as it happened with Gili Lake dried for agricultural purposes and having lost its unique significance as nesting sport for waders. Karen Jenderedjian thinks that .Armenia takes efforts to protect its important wetlands through establishment of new protected areas, such as "Arpi Lich" National Park and "Khor Virap" State Sanctuary.
Watch details in the video.
January 31, 2014 at 20:49