Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Ministry of Nature Protection Submits Performance Report
Chaired by Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan , the Cabinet discussed the Ministry of Nature Protection-drafted report on key activities and priority tasks in 2014 in compliance with the Government’s Action Plan, as well as the Ministry’s estimated performance report.
The 2014 State budget planned to allocate AMD2610.9 million to the Ministry of Nature Protection, 686.9 million in additional funding was provided during the year. The total amount of budget allocations made to fund the activities of the Ministry-affiliated SNCOs rose to AMD892.3 million in 2014. Environmental contributions from the Ministry of Nature Protection-supervised facilities amounted to 2300.6 million drams against 1658.2 million in 2013.
In accordance with the Republic of Armenia Law “On targeted use of environmental fees paid by companies,” subsidies to a total amount of over 245.0 million drams were provided to 11 communities. The aggregate amount of subsidies will rise to AMD296.9 million in 2015, which will go to 14 communities.
Minister of Nature Protection Aramayis Grigoryan reported back the activities carried out on a per-sector basis.
In particular, with a decree adopted on September 25, 2014, the Government approved the 2015 annual program for Lake Sevan ecosystem restoration, preservation, reproduction and usage. A bill on amendment to the law “On atmospheric air protection” was developed and submitted to the Government.
Under the State budget-funded “Fish resources rehabilitation services” program, with a view to replenishing Lake Sevan’s endemic fish populations, 200.0 thousand pieces of Summer Trout (3 or more grams) and 166.7 thousand pieces of Gegharkuni (5 or more grams) were injected into the lake in 2014.
5 laws, 30 Government decrees and 5 Prime Minister’s decisions regulating the environmental sector were adopted in the period under review, of which the most important are as follows: the law “On environmental impact assessment and expertise” and the Government decree “On the preservation and use of specially protected natural areas in 2014-2020.”
There was developed a network of protected areas to prevent illegal logging activities project, in Dilijan National Park there was carried out planting of trees, protected areas, borders mapping, and GIS systems for adjustment of water resources conservation and management.
Measures were implemented under the water resources conservation and management program to address Lake Sevan’s problems. As a result, the water level is today 0.89 m higher than as projected under the law “On Lake Sevan ecosystem restoration, preservation, reproduction and usage.” Cleaning up the lake flooded forest plantations was implemented in Noratuz (17 hectares), as well as in Martuni (34.2 ha) and Vardenis (98.8 hectares) regions.
In Ararat Valley groundwater resource issues facing the decision of the Government approved the illegal, as well as disused wells for water use permits issuance, conservation and liquidation procedures, which prohibits the issuance of permits for water use of the Ararat valley; water use should be reduced to 1/3 in Ararat and Armavir Marzes of Armenia.
Ararat and Armavir in cooperation with the concerned bodies 57 and 89, respectively, by the well-communities records in 2014. July 16 to the end of the liquidation, the regime reached 266 well conserved and valve, which is the result of nearly 23 632.8 l / sec, which is about 745.3 million cubic meters per year. In the future work to be carried out community wells and water-using companies belonging to the…
Targeted work was carried out in ambient air, soil and land protection, hazardous materials and waste management, environmental monitoring and state environmental expertise in the areas of continued cooperation with international organizations, international environmental conventions and initiatives.
Summing up the discussion and referring to the tasks set before the Ministry in 2015, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of continuous and effective implementation of environmental programs. Hovik Abrahamyan called Minister Grigoryan’s attention on the problem of illegal logging and instructed the Minister to monitor the problem on a daily basis and report back to the Prime Minister regularly.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of making continued efforts toward identifying illegal wells, illegal water users, as well as proper monitoring of tailings and instructed the Minister to be consistent in these matters.
