SERGEY KAPINOS: NOT A SINGLE BIG ECOLOGICAL PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED WITHOUT PARTICIPATION OF THE SOCIETY

ArmInfo
2009-10-27 16:13:00

ArmInfo. Within the frames of the "Arevordi" ("Sunchild") environmental
festival, a roundtable on global climate changes was held in Yerevan,
Monday. Representatives of the Armenian Environment Ministry and
international organizations took part in the event.

Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Sergey Kapinos told ArmInfo
correspondent that not a single big environmental problem can be
solved without participation of the society. No matter how concerned
the governmental structures are, nothing can be done without the
involvement of the society and its support, and if it is possible to do
anything, the effect will not be strong enough, Kapinos said. Thus,
the settlement of global problems directly depends on the active
position of the civil society. Kapinos also stressed the significance
of regular events on environmental problems. Such events attain their
goals only when followed by other events, Kapinos said.

Climate changes and global warming are the most defining issues
nowadays. Specialists say the 2-degree rise of temperature in
Armenia may increase desertization 33%, reduce sediments 10%, and
reduce the quantity of mammals – 28-33%, and harvest – 8-14%. In
addition, Alpine zones will decrease 22% and landscapes zones –
100-150 meters. The annual river flow in the country will fall 15%
and Lake Sevan evaporating capacity will fall 13-14%. Specialists
say global warming will give a rise to malaria and cholera as well
as to cardiovascular diseases. Weather anomalies have already been
observed in the country.

Thus, the temperature in the winter of 2002 in Ararat Valley was 32
degree Celsius below zero, whereas in July of 2006 the temperature
rose to 43 degree Celsius above zero. Earlier such anomalies did not
last so long. Snow, rain, hails and frosts have reached a dangerous
level especially in Ararat Valley. Operative Hydrometeorology Center
forecasts that average annual temperature in Armenia for the coming
50 years will rise 1 degree. UN Human Development Report Fighting
Climate Change: human solidarity in a divided world forecasts 1.8-4
degrees increase of temperature in average and even by 6.4 degrees in
isolated regions on the Earth by the end of the 21st century. Experts
say this will lead to more frequent weather anomalies such has extreme
heat and heavy sediments, tropic cyclones, typhoons and storms.