Biological Diversity in Syunik

   Syunik marz location and relief have promoted the formation of agro and biological diversity. Being a country with rich and unique biological diversity in Armenia at the same time the region is exposed to the influence of human (antropogen) and technological (technogen) factors dangerous for environment. In the result changes take place in ecosystems and their specific composition, even separate species are destroyed. Pollution and over use of living resources takes place.

SPECIALLY PROTECTED AREAS OF NATURE

   In Syunik marz the protection of biological diversity is carried out under ex-situ and ins-situ conditions, which has more effective result in specially protected areas of nature. Specially protected areas namely reserves, national parks and natural monuments make 10% of the marz territory. This amount is insufficient for Syunik, which has rich landscape and biological diversity and human and technological pressure on natural ecosystems. In the specially protected areas the mountainous, meadow, pasture and forest ecosystems, which are of great significance for social-economic, environmental as well as biological diversity protection of marz are insufficiently presented. By 2002 from 5 reserves in Armenia only 2, Shikahogh, Sev Lich, and from 22 preserves only one, Platan Grove, are under control. Natural monuments are not yet officially registered.

Air Basin
Wastes (2000)

   Annually 30.3 thou t waste is thrown out to the atmosphere from motionless sources in RA, of which 29.6 thou t or 97.6 % is on the part of organizations in Yerevan, Ararat, Lori and Kotayk. In Syunik the annual amount of waste has made 65.3 t or 0.21 % of waste in RA.

    Per inhabitant the wastes make 0.4 kg (the average in RA makes 8 kg), and per 1 sq. km it makes 12.5 kg (the average in RA makes 1100 kg). The amount of wastes thrown out to the atmosphere from the motionless sources makes200 kg of evaporated organic combination (totally 530.3 t in RA) and 59000 kg of dust (totally 1243.3 t in RA).

    From transportation means annually 4600 t waste (totally 125320 t in RA and 67260 t in Yerevan) is thrown out to the air basin in marz including 90 t nitric oxide (totally 6070 t in RA and 3100 t in Yerevan), 1400 t carbon oxide (totally 103790 t in RA and 55780 t in Yerevan) and 630 t hydrocarbons (totally 15460 t in RA and 8380 t in Yerevan).

Water Basin

   The three biggest rivers Araks (Meghry district and Iran border), Vorotan and Voghchi flow through the marz territory. Here the lakes Gazana, Kapuyt (Blue), Al (Red), Sev (Black) and the reservoirs Spandaryan, Balak, Tolors, Shamb, David-Bek and Geghi are situated.
   Data on the biggest rivers, lakes and reservoirs are given below:

Hydrological characteristics of the biggest rivers in Syunik

Characteristics of the biggest lakes and reservoirs in Syunik

   Voghchi is the only river polluted with industrial sewage. It is mainly polluted with technological sewage of Zangezour Copper-molybdenum and Kapan Ore-dressing plants in the south-eastern border of marz.

   Industrial sewage is mainly polluted with remnant of non-dangerous reagents used during the flotation of copper-molybdenum ore.

   The annual amount of industrial tailings is 142.23 thou t (93 % of tailings in RA). The average amount of tailings per capita makes 40.2 kg in RA and 867.2 kg in Syunik. It is 22 times more than the indicator in RA.
Tailings are the result of mining industry in the form of separated empty rocks or non-dangerous remnant separated in the result of ore-dressing. To decrease the influence of the tailings on the environment they are replaced and piled up in special waste-containers of Kadjaran, Kapan and Artsvanik. The mining industrial enterprises spend a lot of money for such kinds of activities. Environmental protection fees are also paid, which make 2733 thou drams per organization and 400 drams per capita.

    Annual fees for environmental protection and use in 2000 made correspondingly 5.9 mil drams and 51.4 mil drams. The amount of waste in water basin and the fees paid in 2000 made correspondingly 931.7 t and 4 mil 472 thou drams.

    The amount of fuel used by transportation and waste motionless sources and payments for waste thrown out to air basin made correspondingly 67 t and 93.1 thou drams, 885 t and 1 mill 414 thou drams.

    The amount of tailings in tailing-containers and the payments for that in 2000 made 5.9 t and 3.6 thou drams.

    Water use amounts and the payments in 2000 made about 4 mil m3 and 2 mil 365 thou drams.
For extraction of minerals 45 mil drams was paid.

    The amounts of firewood and timber used in marz and the payments made 4283 m3 and 2.6 mil drams, 603 m3 and 1.44 mil drams.

    The current expenses of Syunik marz environmental protection in 2000 made 1.6 mil drams, 126.5 thou drams per organization.

    The infringements according to environmental protection legislation made 54 in marz.