RA Government withdrew from the National Assembly the draft law "On Making Amendments to Water Code of the Republic of Armenia", the adoption of which would allow the construction of small hydropower plants in the buffer zones of specially protected areas of nature (SPAN). Hermine Poghosyan, an expert of RA NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Nature Protection, stated this to the coordinator of "Water Sector" working group of Public Council under RA Environment Minister.
It should be reminded that the members of "Water Sector" working group sent a letter to Acting Environment Minister Romanos Petrosyan (the copies are addressed to NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan, Chairman of NA Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Nature Protection Vahe Ghalumyan) offering the following:
· Not to submit draft law "On Making Amendments to RA Water Code" to the discussion of the RA National Assembly;
· To add an amendment to Article 30.1 of Water Code and refuse to provide WP for the construction of SHPPs not only in protected areas, but also in the buffer zones of the protected areas;
· To promote the development of the energy sector of strategic importance in Armenia, using alternative/renewable energy sources (solar, wind), whereas in the area of SPANs, where there is unrealized potential for eco-tourism, to develop eco-tourism culture as an approach to supporting the economy and protecting the environment.
June 15, 2021 at 13:25