The Main Sources Feeding Lake Sevan Have Come Under Azerbaijani Control, Minister Says

Two main rivers feeding Lake Sevan, the Arpa and Vorotan, have come under Azerbaijani control as a result of the 44-day war in Artsakh. This was stated by the Minister of Environment of Armenia, Romanos Petrosyan, during a meeting with journalists.

“The sources of these two rivers are mainly located in the Karvachar region, and unfortunately, these areas are currently under the control of the opposing side. The main sources of the Lake Sevan water basin are also located in those territories,” said the minister.

According to him, some circles in Armenia’s environmental community have already expressed concerns regarding this fact. The ministry has conducted studies and presented the results to the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister's Office. The ministry cannot do anything further on this issue, as it lacks such functions.

Regarding potential new dangers resulting from the delimitation, the ministry also does not have a mandate for involvement. “But I must say that certain protected areas and reserves of the ‘Zangezur’ biosphere complex border the international borders of Armenia on both the eastern and western sides, and naturally, we are keeping these processes under control through permanent working communications and contact with our specialists,” added Petrosyan.