Transcript The Wetlands in Armenia

Water-related Ecosystems
Conservation in Armenia
and
Perspectives for
Transboundary
Conservation
Karen Jenderedjian
Content
• Forests and Forests Values
• Conflicts and Threats to Forests
• Wetlands and Wetlands Values
• Conflicts and Threats to Wetlands
• Environmental Legislation
• International Cooperation
Diversity of Forests in
Armenia
• 334,100 ha or 11.2%of the total territory
120,000 ha oak
96,600 ha beech
55,100 ha hornbeam
17,700 ha pine
44,700 ha other
Timber
• 41,74 million m3 timber reserve
• Average density 0.53
• Average quality indicator 3.8
Conflicts and Threats
to Forests
• Over-exploitation
and factor of
disturbance
• Deforestation
Diversity of Wetlands
in Armenia
Inland Wetlands
Human-made wetlands
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Rivers /streams / creeks
Lakes
Saline flats
Marshes
Peatlands
Freshwater springs
Geothermal wetlands
Subterranean hydrosystems
Ponds
Irrigated land
Seasonally flooded land
Water storage areas
Excavations
Wastewater treatment areas
Canals and drainage channels,
ditches
Plants biodiversity of
Armenia
Number of
Number of
recorded species wetland species
Algae
388
245
Fungi
4166
ca. 200
Lichens
300
?
Moss
430
135
Vascular plants
3555
622
Animals biodiversity of Armenia
Number of
recorded species
Invertebrates
ca. 17,000
Fishes
36
Amphibians
8
Reptiles
53
Birds
349
Mammals
83
Number of
wetland species
ca 1,000
36
8
4
135
7
Wetlands Values and
Poverty Alleviation
• Products of
abiocen origin:
Water fresh & mineral
sand, gravel
Peat
Wetlands Values and
Poverty Alleviation
• Plant products
Hay
Food
Medicine
Bouquets
Wetlands Values and
Poverty Alleviation
• Animal products
Fish
Crayfish
Frog
Game
Pets
Wetlands Values and
Poverty Alleviation
• Socio-economical
functions:
Water for irrigation and
electric power
Sspace for grazing and
watering, fish-farming
Conflicts and Threats
to Wetlands
• Water loss and
water balance
disturbance
• Soil deterioration,
erosion and
sedimentation
Conflicts and Threats
to Wetlands
• Mudflows and
waterlogging
• Pollution
Conflicts and Threats
to Forests
• Over-exploitation
and factor of
disturbance
• Deforestation
Environmental Legislation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
·
•
•
•
1991 Law on Principles of Environmental Protection
1991 Law on Especially Protected Natural Areas
1991 The Land Code
1994 Law on Protection the Atmosphere and Air Quality
1994 The Forest Code
1995 Law on Environmental Impact Assessment
1998 Law on Payments for Nature Protection and Use of
Natural Resources
2000 Law on Flora
2000 Law on Fauna
2001 Law on Lake Sevan
2002 Law on Lake Sevan Annual Action Programme
2002 (1992) The Water Code
1991 Law on Principles of
Environmental Protection
• Specifies principles of environmental
policy of the State
• Establishes legal basis for
development of environmental
legislation
1991 Law on Especially
Protected Natural Areas
• Conservation of reference sites and
ecosystems
• Protection of natural monuments
• Protection of biodiversity
• Scientific research of nature
• Monitoring of environment
• Categories of protected areas
1991 The Land Code
• Specifies principles of land use policy
of the State
• Establishes scope and framework for
regulation of land use policy and
relationships between different
stakeholders
1994 The Forest Code
• Conservation, reproduction and
sustainable use of water protective, soil
protective, climate mitigating, health,
recreational and other values of forests
1998 Law on Payments for
Nature Protection and Use of
Natural Resources
•
•
•
•
•
payments for nature protection
payments for use of bioresources
scope of payers
forms of payments
amenability against violations
2000 Law on Flora
Secure
• conservation of qualitative and quantitative
values of flora, plant habitats and genetical
diversity
• sustainable use of plant resources
• regulation of plant resource use
Regulate
• rights and responsibilities of plant resource
users
2000 Law on Fauna
Secure
• conservation, protection, natural reproduction of
animal genus and species diversity
• integrity of natural habitats
• survival of animal species and populations
• integrity of migration ways
Regulate
• sustainable use of resources of wild animals
• rights and responsibilities of plant resource users
2001 Law on Lake Sevan
2002 Law on Lake Sevan Action
Programmes
Regulate
• protection
• restoration,
• reproduction,
• natural development,
• use natural resources
of Lake Sevan, its watershed
and ecosystems
Secure
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6 m water level increase
sustainable use
drinking quality water
fish stocks reproduction
recreation development
biodiversity
administration
improvement
• effective water
management
2002 (1992) The Water Code
• Establish the mechanisms of water resource
management
• Protect and conserve water resource
• Prevent of negative reveal of water
• Water resource inventory
• Sustainable water supply
• Water supply and removal system secure
• Hydropower plant use regulation
• Water ecosystem management
International Cooperation:
Conventions
• Biological Diversity (1993)
• Climate Change (1993)
• Wetlands (6 November 1993)
• World Heritage (1993)
• Combat Desertification (1997)
• Aarhus (2001)
• European Landscape Convention
(2004)
etc.
International Cooperation:
Ramsar SGF in Armenia
• 1997 - Inventory of Armenian Ramsar Sites
• 1999 - Ecologo-economical Valuation of
Armenian Wetlands
• 2000 - Regional Training Course on Wetland
Management (21 participants from 6 countries)
• 2002 - Regional Seminar “Conservation and
Wise Use of Wetlands in the European NIS”
(64 participants from 17 countries)
International Cooperation:
Wetland Perspectives
•Restoration of Lake Gilli
(UNDP/GEF US$ 963,708)
•Establishment of Protected Areas
in Armenia’s Javakheti Region
(German Ministry of Cooperation
EUR 2,200,000)
Thank you!