We Are Facing the Danger of Fundamentally Losing Lake Sevan: Environmentalist Vahagn Varagyan

Immediate actions need to be taken to improve the condition of Lake Sevan, otherwise we will face very serious problems.

This statement was made by Vahagn Varagyan, a member of the environmental NGO “Green Future,” on his Facebook page.

“We need to take immediate actions to improve the condition of Sevan, otherwise we will be facing very serious problems. If this continues, Sevan will become a marsh, and we will lose the largest freshwater resource in the region. As a result, the entire ecosystem of Lake Sevan will be destroyed. Fish stocks will vanish, leading to food security issues. There will be serious risks of outbreaks of epidemics, making the Sevan basin a risky area for human health. The endemic Armenian crayfish will also be at risk of extinction. Agriculture will not be spared from these dangers. Problems will arise regarding both livestock and irrigation systems, as the Hrazdan River, which originates from Sevan, is of great importance for irrigation. Ignoring these risks and continuing to exploit Sevan without serious measures and, if necessary, strict restrictions, we will face the danger of fundamentally losing Lake Sevan. From this moment, the government should also consider the damages that will be inflicted on the citizens and businesses living in the Sevan region due to the inevitable restrictions and find means of compensation, so that citizens do not end up in a socio-economic crisis and suffer as little harm as possible,” he wrote.