EcoLur
On 2 October the presentation of EcoLur’s “SHPPs under Umbrella of International Financial Institutions” report was held at EcoLur Press Club. The report presents the analysis of SHPP activities, which passed from “green economy” to “black” economic sector, which destroys rivers, landscapes, forests, i.e. natural environment. The activities of the European development banks are also presented, particularly those of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – EBRD, German KfW development Bank, which fund SHPPs.
MP Lyova Khachatryan, the member of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Environment and Agriculture commented on the activities of SHPPs. “As a matter of fact, SHPPs turned into suffering for our people, nature and ecosystem. SHPPs are constructed to get super profits, when the country doesn’t have any need for electricity ad they can’t even sell the existing electricity. It turns out that our ecosystem is destroyed for the sake of business. We have got the impression as if there is an order to treat our country like this.”
In his speech RA NAS Academician Anry Nersesyan pointed out the damage, which the European financial institutions cause in Armenia through stimulating the activities of SHPPs. “I would suggest adopting a resolution, to urgently dispatch it to these banks and to publish in the press to point out that they, first of all, simulate the destruction of our nature with their activities, secondly, they promote the corruption in Armenia.”
The UN Climate Change Framework Convention Coordinator Aram Gabrielyan proposed to take SHPPs out of the privileged field of public services into the common market of electricity, as the SHPPs don’t have anything in common with the public services. “SHPPs can sell electricity to the networks with guarantee for 15 years at a tariff of 20 AMD for one kilowatt, if the SHPP is constructed at a natural water source. It means that the villagers pay for subsidizing a SHPP,” he said.
“SHPPs cause damage to the reproduction of endemic fish species, as well as to our forests. For example, the forests having grown around the Meghri River, may disappear in 20-30 years due to the SHPPs, as they may lose the humidity they need. Landslides appeared together with other problems.”
Besides, SHPPs cause damage to the locals taking away their irrigation water,” said WWF Armenia Director Karen Manvelyan and added that SHPPs also spoil the aesthetic appearance of nature thus preventing the development of ecotourism and improvement in the welfare of the locals.
To be continued…
October 04, 2013 at 16:51