Draft Strategy for Restoration of Lake Sevan Ecosystem for 2024-2030 Presented

Draft Strategy for Restoration of Lake Sevan Ecosystem for 2024-2030 Presented

"Restoration of Lake Sevan Ecosystem for 2024-2030" draft strategy had been developed, which was presented at the concluding workshop on "Restoration of Lake Sevan Ecosystem for 2024-2030” held on June 14. The draft strategy was developed by "CIVITTA AM" CJSC (Armenia) within the framework of the UNDP program "Environmental Protection of Lake Sevan" (EU4Sevan). The main goal of "Restoration of Lake Sevan Ecosystem for 2024-2030" draft strategy is to achieve a significant restoration of Lake Sevan and the stabilization of the ecosystem in the future by 2030 by implementing comprehensive actions. To improve the ecosystem of Lake Sevan, three groups of environmental targets have been identified: raising the lake level, improving water quality, and intersectoral targets.

Representatives of governmental departments, research, international and non-governmental organizations attended this event. The measures outlined in the strategy for the restoration of the Lake Sevan ecosystem are aimed at sustainable water level management, improvement of water quality and implementation of cross-sector initiatives," Ara Mkrtchyan, RA Environment Deputy Minister outlined in his welcoming speech.

Frank Hess, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Armenia stressed out that the financial investments of the state and international donor organizations are important to overcome the problems of Lake Sevan. In his speech, Konstantin Sokulsky, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Armenia, emphasized the importance of the strategy, noting that it is a comprehensive document that provides an opportunity to implement a series of measures that will contribute to alleviating the problems of Lake Sevan and improving the water quality. Before the development of the strategy, a vision of what kind of Lake Sevan we will have in 2050 was developed within the framework of "EU4Sevan" program.

Lake Sevan is an object of high environmental, socio-economic value for the country, it is also an important strategic and security component, whose protection, priority restoration, restoration of the balance of the ecosystem is the number one priority. Its sustainable use is the next step. We need to achieve this with informed decisions, literate, educated communities and joint efforts," Voskehat Grigoryan, Head of Specially Protected Areas and Biodiversity Policy Department of Environment Ministry, told EcoLur.

Astghik Danielyan, Coordinator of "EU4Sevan" project, noted that the strategy envisages improving water quality by 2 digits. Within the framework of "EU4Sevan" program, legislative reforms regarding Lake Sevan will be proposed. It’s high time to adopt a new law "On Lake Sevan Ecosystem". We will also propose to emphasize the importance of Lake Sevan for the present and future generations at the constitutional level and adopt a government decision on approving the management plan for Lake Sevan based on this, Olimpia Geghamyan, Head of Scientific and Educational Center of Environmental Law of Yerevan State University, noted.

“Environmental Protection of Lake Sevan” (EU4Sevan) project is co- funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is part of the BMZ-funded programme “Management of natural resources and safeguarding of ecosystem services for sustainable rural development in the South Caucasus (ECOserve)․” The project is implemented by GIZ and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).



June 14, 2024 at 21:03