Armenia hosts inaugural Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia
22.10.2019,
15:45
About 500,000 trees will be planted on an area of 140 hectares as part of a program designed to restore forests in Armenia before the end of this year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today when addressing the inaugural Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia, co-organized by the Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment.
YEREVAN, October 22. /ARКА/. About 500,000 trees will be planted on an area of 140 hectares as part of a program designed to restore forests in Armenia before the end of this year, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said today when addressing the inaugural Forest Summit: Global Action and Armenia, co-organized by the Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and the American University of Armenia (AUA) Acopian Center for the Environment.
He said resolution of environmental problems, especially conservation and restoration of forests are the priorities of his government. 'Unfortunately, Armenia has long been facing a forest conservation challenge because of problems that emerged in the first years of independence, in particular, in the energy sector,” said Pashinyan.
According to him, new problems are added to the existing ones due to global climate change. Pashinyan recalled that his government has released 424 million drams ($890 thousand) for the restoration of forests, which also has a social component, as about 1000 temporary jobs will be created.
"At present, 300 vacant jobs are available in the province of Lori, 200 in Tavush and 50 in Syunik provinces," he said.
The goal of the three day summit running from October 20 to 23 is to facilitate open and rigorous discussion of policy decisions on Armenia’s forests with the aim of catalyzing improvements in forest conservation and restoration in Armenia and internationally.
The Forest Summit attendees are participating in plenary sessions, panels, breakout sessions and field visits to forestry sites in Armenia along with sightseeing and social gatherings.
Among key speakers are Dr. Anthony S. Davis, dean and professor at the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, which is recognized as one of the world’s leading forestry research, teaching, and extension institutions, Dr. Glenn Bush, an environmental economist at Woods Hole Research Center, Dr. Omri Bonneh, Chief Forester and Director of Forest Division at the KKL-JNF, Israel’s largest afforestation organization; Dr. Maya Nehme, Executive Director of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative; Mr. David Mathenge from the international Green Belt Movement - an organization whose founder won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for their activism and reforestation work in Kenya; and Ms. Carmen Argüello of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Green Climate Fund, as well as representatives of other foreign public organizations. - 0-
He said resolution of environmental problems, especially conservation and restoration of forests are the priorities of his government. 'Unfortunately, Armenia has long been facing a forest conservation challenge because of problems that emerged in the first years of independence, in particular, in the energy sector,” said Pashinyan.
According to him, new problems are added to the existing ones due to global climate change. Pashinyan recalled that his government has released 424 million drams ($890 thousand) for the restoration of forests, which also has a social component, as about 1000 temporary jobs will be created.
"At present, 300 vacant jobs are available in the province of Lori, 200 in Tavush and 50 in Syunik provinces," he said.
The goal of the three day summit running from October 20 to 23 is to facilitate open and rigorous discussion of policy decisions on Armenia’s forests with the aim of catalyzing improvements in forest conservation and restoration in Armenia and internationally.
The Forest Summit attendees are participating in plenary sessions, panels, breakout sessions and field visits to forestry sites in Armenia along with sightseeing and social gatherings.
Among key speakers are Dr. Anthony S. Davis, dean and professor at the College of Forestry at Oregon State University, which is recognized as one of the world’s leading forestry research, teaching, and extension institutions, Dr. Glenn Bush, an environmental economist at Woods Hole Research Center, Dr. Omri Bonneh, Chief Forester and Director of Forest Division at the KKL-JNF, Israel’s largest afforestation organization; Dr. Maya Nehme, Executive Director of the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative; Mr. David Mathenge from the international Green Belt Movement - an organization whose founder won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for their activism and reforestation work in Kenya; and Ms. Carmen Argüello of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Green Climate Fund, as well as representatives of other foreign public organizations. - 0-
