Sevan level decrease due to Armenia’s oligarchic regime, World Bank
interests – opinions
11:29 ¢ 30.04.14
To raise the level of Lake Sevan it is necessary for Armenia’s
oligarchic regime and the World Bank to invest certain efforts,
according to an environmentalist.
Speaking to Tert.am, the president of the Association of Greens, Hakob
Sanasaryan, said he thinks the wealthy class and senior government
officials who own capital in the Sevan area are interested in leaving
the water level low to avoid damage to their property.
The environmentalist noted that his study of the WB 1996-1998 grant
projects (aimed at maintaining the lake’s eco-balance) revealed that
none of them offered favorable conditions for maintaining the lake’s
water level high.
`They say that in case the Sevan level goes up, that will cause a huge
damage to Armenia’s economy. They were strongly against the Vorotan
tunnel construction, considering its potential harm very great for
Armenia. Now, actually, we receive a loan once a difficulty emerges in
the economy. So the more undeveloped our economy is, the less we
cultivate lands and the lower the water level to ensure energy supply
when necessary, the higher their interest. I don’t think the WB wants
the Sevan level to go up,’ he said, noting that a further
deterioration of economy is more likely to increase the need of loan
programs.
As for the National Assembly’s amended law on Sevan (allowing for
water release for one instead of five years), Sanasaryan considered
the move positive, stressing the importance of further strong efforts.
`No matter the seeming increase in the Sevan level, the Armenian
authorities, under the president’s leadership, are doing all their
best to prevent it from going up. Had they allowed it, Sevan’s level
would be much higher; it would have reached the 1903,5 meter target,’
he added.
Asked to comment on the repeatedly voiced argument that the Ararat
valley faces a shortage of irrigation water (a problem that is often
cited as a cause of migration from the villages), the environmentalist
replied, `Yes, there is a problem of irrigation, but at times, 50
million cubic meters of water was enough for the whole year. Then they
increased that to 80 million, 140 million, 170 million and 240
[million cubic meter]. All this is not in line with the plan for
raising the lake’s level, with a large part of the irrigation water
released from Sevan going to the Caspian Sea.’
Levon Galstyan, another environmentalist who talked to our
correspondent, said the five-year time-limit is a voluntarily selected
timeframe not based on any professional or expert conclusion.
`This is a fact. I don’t think they made the change listening to
environmentalists,’ he said, adding that he himself does not see any
logic behind the move.
Galstyan said he is under the impression that the authorities treat
the lake as a dam whose water level can be changed any time. `We do
not have the governance resources capable of managing the environment.
And why not, the coastal constructions too, can be seen as a reason,
as their owners probably lobby for preventing a rise in the water
level,’ he added.
From: A. Papazian