"Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

[Anahita]

Between 1990 and 2005 alone, Armenia lost over 18% of forest cover. In 1990, there were 346,000 hectares of forest. By 2005, there was 283,000 hectares left. I understand that 100% of forested land in the country is publicly owned.

Does anyone know if that is correct?

(http://rainforests.mongabay.com/defo...00/Armenia.htm)

Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation
By Christian Garbis

YEREVAN—In Armenia, an epidemic has broken out that is detrimental to the country’s survival and its ability to support a constructive, stable society. The issue affects every individual in the country, and if unresolved would turn the landscape into a scorched, uninhabitable wasteland where nothing can be done to reverse the damage.

This situation describes the effects of the rampant deforestation of Armenia.
Each year, thousands of trees are cut down from Armenia’s rapidly fading forests. Seventy percent of these trees are sold as firewood within Armenia, and 30 percent are exported for profit…

“What you’re going to see is similar to what’s happened to Mesopotamia,” claims Armenia Tree Project Executive Director Jeff Masarjian. “Once you loose the forests, you loose the topsoil through erosion. Once that topsoil is gone, you loose the ability to sustain the population through agriculture…

“According to the World Bank, 80 percent of Armenia is at risk of becoming a desert within 50 years,” Mr. Masarjian explained. “If we don’t start doing something now, changes will occur that may be irreversible.”

(whole article at: http://www.hairenik.com/armenianweek...ociety002.html)


Armenia’s 1st National Report: Convention of Biological Diversity

http://www.biodiv.org/doc/world/am/am-nr-01-en.pdf

Armenian Forests

http://www.armenianforests.am/home.html

http://www.armenianforests.am/threatened.html

http://www.armenianforests.am/gallery.html

(Photos and details of the issues)

Armenian Tree Project

http://www.armeniatree.org/

Armenian Tree Project ("The Threat")

http://www.armeniatree.org/thethreat/threat.htm

[crusader1492]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

The information you posted is correct, and yes, it IS a tragedy (thanks to the illegal blockades of turkey and azebaijan). If you want more information you can visit the "Armenian Tree Project's" website at: http://www.armeniatree.org/.
They're doing some good work.

[Anahita]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

Rock Against Environmental Destruction

http://www.hetq.am/eng/ecology/

"Riding on the back of a truck, Bambir toured the streets in an action to protest the destruction of the capital's green areas and new construction in the city center. The environmental protest action was organized by the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art."


Rock without Borders

http://oneworld.blogsome.com/2006/01/21/bambir-rock-without-borders/

[bell-the-cat]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

[I] I understand that 100% of forested land in the country is publicly owned.

Unfortunately, in Armenia "publicly owned" means "controlled by politicians who use it as if they owned it personally".

[Anahita]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

Unfortunately, in Armenia "publicly owned" means "controlled by politicians who use it as if they owned it personally".

Yeah, not much different than the US right now, in that respect.

http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/

This is horrible:
"Senate passes $2.8 trillion election-year budget
Budget passed with only one democratic vote in support; calls for the opening of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
March 16, 2006: 7:52 PM EST"

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/16/news/economy/senate.budget/index.htm?cnn=yes

Does anyone know about other links about these issues?

[bell-the-cat]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

Yeah, not much different than the US right now, in that respect.

http://www.bushgreenwatch.org/

True, (though America is much bigger, and with far more natural resources.)

This cartoon from a couple of years ago says a lot.

[crusader1492]

Re: "Armenia's Ecocide: The Tragedy of Deforestation"

ARMENIA HAS SERIOUS PROSPECTS TO BECOME A DESERT

According to the global meteorological station forecasts the global temperature will increase by 1.7 (minimum) and 5 – 8 (maximum) degrees. According to our meteorologists the temperature will increase by 1.7 degree C in Armenia.

The “Armenian State Hydro-Meteorological Service” foresees that this global warming will result in certain environmental changes. Mainly the cases of freezing will double, the rains will decrease by 10%, and the aridity will become a frequent phenomenon. “There is already a trend of aridity increase in Armenia. The observations held by the year 2002 testify to this,” says the Vice-Director of the “Armenian State Hydro-Meteorological Service” Hamlet Melkonyan. But he adds that the further observations were stopped as there were not financial means.

The temperature increase will have its side effects on Lake Sevan. It will lose 140 million liters drinking water in case the water level increases by 1 degree. We shall also have a loss of river waters by 15%. Thus, Armenia will encounter the problem of water lack. The survey made by the year 2004 revealed that the temperature increase also accelerated the process of making the country wilderness.

The forecast of the world experts shows that the global warming will have a larger scale than the climate changes of the last 10 000 years. Today many documents have been signed in order to decrease the index of the threat. The Kioto treaty was made in 1997 by which the developed countries are to curtail the waste of 6 main greenhouse exhaust gases by 5%. By the way, the USA has the top scores with the quantity of waste, and then come China, Russia and other developed countries.

“The level of exhaust waste in Armenia is rather low in comparison with other countries; it hasn’t even reached the 1990 year level. The greenhouse gases are directly proportional to the economic prosper; we don’t have a developed economy,” claims Hamlet Melkonyan.