WATER QUALITY NEEDS IMPROVING IN ARMENIA’S RURAL AREAS
ARKA
May 20, 2008
Below is an exclusive interview by Yelena Manvelyan, Chairperson of
the Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment NGO.
ARKA: What specific program does your organization plan for 2008?
Manvelyan: The activities of the Armenian Women for Health and Healthy
Environment NGO are mainly aimed at sustainable rural development
with simultaneous resolution of essential problems, namely, water
supply and drainage, health of the rural population.
Under a new 3-year contract for 2008-2010, we plan to launch our
activities in three rural communities, Kakhsi and Solak, Ararat region,
and Khachpar, Kotayk region. We also plan to expand our activities in
the field of alternative agriculture. The new contract was possible
to sign due to the successful implementation of the previous 3-year
program, which was approved by a monitoring group formed and sent
to Armenia by our donors. Under the contract, about US $100,000 are
to be allocated in advance for the new program. It should be noted
that our partners trust us, and, as the program is implemented and
new projects are elaborated, this amount may be increased.
ARKA: What measures were implemented under the NGO’s program in
2005-2007? What is your opinion of the organization’s activities in
that period?
Manvelyan: We consider the NGO’s activities in 2005-2007 as very
effective. We carried through all the planned, as well as additional,
projects. The year 2007 saw a successful completion of a 3-year
series of $140,000 worth development programs in the villages of
Fontan and Dzoraghbyur, Kotayk region, and Ayanist, Ararat region. The
programs provided for the installation of water-supply, improvement
of hygiene and sanitary conditions, implementation of alternative
sanitary measures.
Ecotoilets were installed at village homes and schools, new
water-supply lines were laid and old ones repaired. Water meters
were installed. The heads of the neighboring communities and school
headmasters showed interest in our projects and applied to us for the
implementation of similar programs on a co-financing basis. I would
like to note that the involvement of communities or local residents
in the financing is one of the preconditions for the implementation
of programs.
ARKA: In which Armenian regions is the NGO working? Do you plan to
launch activities in other regions?
Manvelyan: The organization is working in two Armenian regions,
Ararat and Kotayk. We are not going to launch our activities in other
regions, but we plan to involve more villages of the two regions in our
program. This year we plan to launch activities in three more rural
communities. We use a number of criteria in selecting the villages
where development programs are to be implemented. As a rule, they
are villages with socially vulnerable population and refugees from
Azerbaijan. We also consider the poverty level and susceptibility to
intestinal diseases.
ARKA: What is your opinion of the provision with drinking water-supply
and drainage systems in Armenia’s regions?
Manvelyan: This system is in a poor state in Armenia. At present, only
10% of Armenia’s rural population can use the sewerage system. The
average time of water-supply in all the communities is 14 hours a
day, and only 44% of Armenia’s rural communities have round-the-clock
water-supply. It is an especially acute problem in Ararat, Shirak and
Tavush. Moreover, only 40% of the rural population are satisfied with
the quality of drinking water.
The local residents installed individual sewerage systems draining
the waste water into the nearby river, which pollutes the streams. The
organization is doing its best to resolve the water-supply problem. For
example, water-saving ecotoilets can be a way out for many Armenian
villages.
Of course, if we lack funds to implement our projects we apply to
donors, government bodies and companies. We are anxious for government
bodies and other NGOs to support our ideas.
ARKA: What specific programs is the organization implementing in
alternative agriculture?
Manvelyan: We plan to found a theoretical and practical center
of alternative agriculture next year to present our experience,
methods and information resources. Our experts will actively provide
information on new methods in alternative agriculture. The center is
most likely to be founded in the village of Solak, Kotayk region. We
seek organic farming and persuade farmers to stop using pesticides,
replacing them with natural fertilizers, herbal infusions. Experienced
specialists in organic farming are working with farmers. At the
workshops organized in villages they explain to the farmers the
advantages of organic fertilizers, which will allow them to grow
ecologically pure products. The organization is also carrying out a
campaign against soil depletion, as Armenia has a huge percentage of
such lands.
Indeed, arable lands occupy a very small area in Armenia, and the
struggle against soil depletion is most topical.
ARKA: What local and international organizations is your NGO
cooperating with?
Manvelyan: At the international level our organization has numerous
contacts with its counterparts and carries out effective cooperation
with them. We often participate in international conferences abroad,
and our foreign colleagues visit us as well. Our organization is
a member of a number of NGO networks, namely, Women of Europe for
Common Future, International POPs Elimination Network and Pesticide
Action Network (PAN).
At the local level we are a member of the Coalition of Environmental
Organizations. We support all the national initiatives dealing with
ecological problems in the country. As regards the Armenian Government,
we are working with it by means of lobbying, presenting the local
problems to the cabinet. Specifically, we are going to address a
letter to the President and the Government in connection with the
environmental problems in the country.
ARKA: Your NGO was the first to raise the problem of the pesticide
mortuary not far from Yerevan. At what stage is the process of
resolving the problem?
Manvelyan: Our organization launched its activities in 1999, and
persistent organic pollutants (POP) – chloroorganic pesticides –
were among the fields of its activities. That was the first wave,
Armenia had just acceded to the Stockholm Convention, which sets the
principles of applying and eliminating the pesticide waste. We started
with exploring the pesticide mortuary. It is located in a landslide
zone, and the pesticides appearing on the surface pose a threat to
the nearby villages, the holiday village and the Hrazdan River. The
relevant ministries were informed of the situation, and the RA Rescue
Service dealt with the problem. The Government set up a task group
which included a representative of our organization. Although the
Government allocated funds, they proved insufficient. Additional
funding is required. The close-down of the mortuary requires about
â~B¬2mln. This is not a large amount for Armenia, as the funds are
received from international organizations and from the Diaspora. The
Armenian Government has to allocate only 30% of the sum. Over 500
tons of pesticides are buried at the mortuary, but they are still
active. We have been struggling for the close-down of the mortuary
for many years, and I hope that we will succeed. We have found a
French organization specializing in this field and, in cooperation
with the Rescue Service, elaborated relevant measures. We hope for
the Government’s financial assistance to the project.
ARKA: As an expert in ecology, what do you think of the operation of
the Teghut deposit? What are the possible consequences?
Manvelyan: A number of problems with the operation of the Teghut
deposit have not yet been resolved. However, I can definitely state
that the operation of the mine will destroy large woodlands. The
toxic dust formed as a result of blasting will pose a serious threat
to the environment and human health. The experience of operation of
the Kajaran and Akhtala deposits proves that the environment and the
local population’s health will not be protected in Teghut either. -0–
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