Shikahogh Public Forum — Friday 10am at AUA
Environmental Public Alliance of Armenian NGOs organizes a Public Forum to discuss the expediency of passage of the freeway through Shikahogh reserve and possible alternatives.
Participants of the Forum will include representatives of the National Assembly, President’s Office, Government Ministries, academia, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, etc.
Public Forum will take place on Friday, June 17, 2005 from 10:00-13:00 at the American University of Armenia, 5th Floor Conference Hall, 40 Baghramyan Street, Yerevan.
— from armenianforests.am
Upon the order of Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Republic of Armenia the “Transproject” CJSC has developed a project on construction of a freeway Kapan-Tsav-Shvanidzor, which plans to cross the Mtnadzor section of the Shikahogh State Reserve.
“Shikahogh” reserve is habitat for many species of plants and animals registered in the Red Book. Breaking the conservation regime of Shikahogh will result in the mass destruction of these species.
In opinion of experts and non-governmental organizations, there are a few alternatives to the proposed road, which are more expedient from the strategic and economic points of view and will have less acute impacts on the environment.
Passage of the road through the mentioned reserve is violating the provisions of international conventions ratified by the Republic of Armenia as well as of laws and Government decrees of the Republic of Armenia.
Environmental Public Alliance of Armenian NGOs organizes a Public Forum to discuss the expediency of passage of the freeway through Shikahogh reserve and possible alternatives.
Participants of the Forum will include representatives of the National Assembly, President’s Office, Government Ministries, academia, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, etc.
Public Forum will take place on Friday, June 17, 2005 from 10:00-13:00 at the American University of Armenia, 5th Floor Conference Hall, 40 Baghramyan Street, Yerevan.
INFORMATION ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FREEWAY
THROUGH SHIKAHOGH STATE RESERVE
Upon the order of Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Republic of Armenia the “Transproject” CJSC has developed a project on construction of a freeway Kapan-Tsav-Shvanidzor, which plans to cross the Mtnadzor section of the Shikahogh State Reserve. Government of Armenia has adopted a decree, which already is submitted to ratification by the President.
“Shikahogh” reserve is habitat for about 1100 species of plants, 70 of which have been registered in the Red Book of Armenia and 18- in the Red Book of the Soviet Union. The fauna of Shikahogh has not been explored completely, while studies have already revealed rare species of animals, such as leopard, bezoar, moufflon, bear, snowcock, viper, hedgehog, etc. Mtnadzor is the better preserved section of Shikahogh, covered with virgin forests, which deserves to be recognized as world natural heritage. Breaking the conservation regime of Shikahogh will result in the mass destruction of these species.
Passage of the road through the mentioned reserve is violating the international conventions ratified by the Republic of Armenia (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention on Biodiversity, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, European Convention on Landscape) and laws of the Republic of Armenia (Law on Specially Protected Areas, Law on Flora, Law on Fauna). It also contradicts other decrees of the RA Government, such as the State Strategy and National Action Plan for Development of Specially Protected Natural Areas of Armenia adopted by Government Decree N54 dated 26.12.12 and on Master Plan of Settlement of the Republic of Armenia adopted by the Government Decree N610-N dated 10.04.03.
Construction of the freeway also results in infringement of the RA Law on Environmental Impact Expertise, as there was no environmental impact assessment conducted for the concept of passage of the road through the natural reserve. While the construction of the road was started without positive conclusion of the environmental impact assessment.
Finally, the construction activities have breached the requirements of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention).
In opinion of experts and non-governmental organizations, there are a few alternatives to the road proposed by the “Transproject” CJSC, which are more expedient from the strategic and economic points of view and will have less acute impacts on the environment.
Environmental Public Alliance of Armenian NGOs organizes a Public Forum to discuss the expediency of passage of the freeway through Shikahogh reserve and possible alternatives.
