Mining industry and small hydropower plants are main sources of river pollution in Armenia
13.03.2018,
15:58
Bardukh Gabrielyan, the director of Zoology and Hydroecology Research Center, an affiliation of the National Academy of Sciences, blamed today Armenia’s mining industry and small hydropower plant for polluting the country’s rivers.
YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA. / Bardukh Gabrielyan, the director of Zoology and Hydroecology Research Center, an affiliation of the National Academy of Sciences, blamed today Armenia’s mining industry and small hydropower plant for polluting the country’s rivers.
"Even if small hydropower plants maintain the standards, they will still damage the rivers," Gabrielyan said. Speaking at a news conference to mark the International River Day, he said although small hydropower plants are believed to be harmless, in fact they cause serious damage to the ecosystem.
According to Victoria Buniazyan, the editor of EcoLur newspaper, covering environmental issues, there are 215 rivers in Armenia and the largest of them is the River Araks. She said there are also 184 small hydropower plants in Armenia built on reservoir systems.
She said EcoLur together with experts from the Ministry of Nature Protection examined about 130 hydroelectric power stations built on rivers, revealing a number of problems. In her words, the number one problem is that the hydroelectric power plants cause serious damage to the ecological balance of rivers, as a result fish stocks are declining.
She also noted that according to the findings of a monitoring of experts conducted in 2017, 15 rivers in Armenia are heavily polluted by mining industry’s wastes.
"The main problem is the ongoing reduction of the watercourse, which will be a long-term trend, and by 2030 the watercourse will decrease by 11.9% and by 34% by 2050,' Buniazyan said. -0-
"Even if small hydropower plants maintain the standards, they will still damage the rivers," Gabrielyan said. Speaking at a news conference to mark the International River Day, he said although small hydropower plants are believed to be harmless, in fact they cause serious damage to the ecosystem.
According to Victoria Buniazyan, the editor of EcoLur newspaper, covering environmental issues, there are 215 rivers in Armenia and the largest of them is the River Araks. She said there are also 184 small hydropower plants in Armenia built on reservoir systems.
She said EcoLur together with experts from the Ministry of Nature Protection examined about 130 hydroelectric power stations built on rivers, revealing a number of problems. In her words, the number one problem is that the hydroelectric power plants cause serious damage to the ecological balance of rivers, as a result fish stocks are declining.
She also noted that according to the findings of a monitoring of experts conducted in 2017, 15 rivers in Armenia are heavily polluted by mining industry’s wastes.
"The main problem is the ongoing reduction of the watercourse, which will be a long-term trend, and by 2030 the watercourse will decrease by 11.9% and by 34% by 2050,' Buniazyan said. -0-
