Failure to Act Extends Lake Sevan's Blooming Duration Over Time: Varagyan

The "Green Future" movement has been insisting since July that the "greening" of Lake Sevan will not end during the summer months, and a second phase of this process is expected to continue into the autumn. We presented numerous professional justifications, but Nikol Pashinyan's government has, much like in other areas of state governance, neglected this issue and "cast it aside." This was stated by Vahagn Varagyan, the leader of the "Green Future" environmental movement, on his Facebook page.

“What does it mean that Sevan has begun to "green" even in the autumn months? To clarify, this indicates a further deterioration of the situation and the continuation of the lake's swamping process. Due to the inaction of the relevant authorities, the duration of the lake's blooming is extending over time. The lack of a scientific and expert approach to such a significant issue comes from the ignorance of the Minister of Environment and the current government's responsibility towards the country. Instead, there is a contradictory approach characterized by endless shows and empty rhetoric.

Meanwhile, both the "Green Future" movement and other professional environmental organizations have repeatedly stressed the urgent need to address the phosphorus issue. The amount of phosphorus entering the lake must be reduced to avoid swamping. The sources of this are wastewater and mineral fertilizers used in agriculture, which contain large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that ultimately end up in Sevan, literally leading to the lake’s destruction.

I assure you, the issue regarding Lake Sevan is extremely serious. Immediate and decisive solutions are required. The current priority is to establish biological treatment plants, not to dismantle stone structures for populist reasons. I declare with full responsibility that even if the last structure is dismantled from the coastal area, Sevan will continue to "green." It is crucial to resolve the issue of biological treatment plants as soon as possible.”