EcoLur
In Armenia within 2010-2014 forest fires reduced 15 times. Aram Gyulkhasyan, Director of "State Forest Monitoring Center" SNCO of the RA Ministry of Agriculture said about this during the round table entitled “What We Lose and Get in Forest Sector in Terms of Climate Change” which took place at “EcoLur” press club.
The participants of the round table were as follows: Ruben Petrosyan, Deputy Director, Chief Forester of “Hayantar” (ArmForest) SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Aram Gyulkhasyan, Director of “State Forest Monitoring Center” SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Armen Ghurshudyan, Deputy Director of “State Forest Monitoring Center” SNCO at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia, Aram Aghasyan, Head of Specially Protected Areas Department of Nature Protection Ministry of the RA, UNFCCC National Focal Point Aram Gabrielyan, Andranik Ghulijanyan Director of “Zikatar” State Reserve, Working Group Manager of UNDP “Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Mountain Forests of Northeastern Armenia” Program, Diana Harutyunyan - UNDP Climate Change Programme Coordinator, Armen Gevorgyan - National Coordinator of Armenian Office of the Transboundary Joint Secretariat for the Southern Caucasus, Artur Alaverdyan Forest Programs Coordinator of WWF-Armenia, Nazeli Vardanyan, President of “Armenian Forests” NGO, Hovik Sayadyan, Dr. in Geographic Sciences and Professor, the working team of EcoLur.
“Under climate change it was supposed that the number of forest fires would increase, but the tendency of 2010-2014 has the opposite picture. For example, in 2010 800 ha of forest lands was burnt, 775 ha of which was forested, in 2014 54 ha was burnt, 28 ha of which was forested”, said Aram Gyulkhasyan. He emphasized that the following measurements contributed to the reduction of the fires, such as the explanation and public awareness works, the measurements and training exercises aimed at fire prevention, firefighting and eliminating and organizing its consequences which are repeatedly realized in the regions of the RA under the direct supervision of the Minister of Agriculture of the RA.
“At the end of 2014 a project was invested in “State Forest Monitoring” SNCO by GIZ which allows to realize monitoring of forest fires due to satellite images. That project enables to realize awareness in those communities where fires of pastures are recorded more often which are nearer the forest border”, said Aram Gyulkhasyan.
He drew special attention to forest sickness. He stated that since 2013 we have seen in the satellite images that forest changes are conditioned not only by illegal deforestation, changes caused by forest fires, areas affected by winds and snow, but also forest diseases.
According to Aram Gyulkhasyan, it is necessary to increase reforestation works, to conduct forest pathology studies in order to alleviate the negative impact of climate change on forests.
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The “EcoLur” Informational NGO is organizing series of events aimed at public involvement and awareness raising targeted to the future climate change policy directions and development of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) of the Republic of Armenia under UN Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC).
The material is prepared by 'EcoLur' Informational NGO under UNDP Climate Change Program, within the framework of ARM-002/2015 Contract.The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations, including UNDP, or the UN Member States.
July 24, 2015 at 20:17