LEVEL OF LAKE SEVAN RISES BY 17 CENTIMTERS ON LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Dec 27 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Altough 2006 was a droughty year,
the level of Lake Sevan has risen by 17 centimeters compared with
last year. The RA Minister of Nature Protection Vardan Aivazian
stated this at the December 27 press conference. According to him,
the complex program envisages raising the lake’s level to 1,903
meters. The minister said that the cleaning of lake shores is of
importance: in 2005, areas of 92 ha were cleaned, and 123 ha was
cleaned this year. V. Aivazian noted that nature use payments are
increasing year by year. In 2003, these payments amounted to 1 bln
12 mln drams (about 44 mln USD), in 2005 they made 2 bln 112 mln
drams. In his words, the use of Earth’s depths contributed to the
growth of nature use payments. There are currently 300 Earth’s depths
operating organizations in Armenia.