ERMC/AUA.: State of the Environment Armenia

Map - Sevan National Park.

Map - Armenia from Space.

The Sevan National Park is the single national park of Armenia. The park and its external protective zone cover all the basin of Lake Sevan , i.e. 1/6 of the total territory of the country.

Copyright 1997 Kurkjian Images

The Sevan National Park protects the most important source of fresh water and fish in the Transcaucasus Region ( Map. ) with its unique diversity of plant, endemic ichthyofauna and landscapes. The Lake Sevan and its basin are significant resting and wintering area for migratory waterfowl. That is what the area designed as a Ramsar site (489,100 ha, of which 125,300 ha the surface of the lake, and 363,800 ha the catrchment area).

The so called Sevan Problem aroused from the beginning of current century. Primary the problem was how to use the natural resources of the site. High location of the lake compared to the fertile but dry Ararat Valley, luck of energy resources in the country attract the engineers to find the methods to explore the water of the lake intensively. Since 1933 the outflow from the lake has been increased. The water was used for irrigation and electricity. Yet in the 60's was evident that the ecological (and economical) consequences of extensive exploitation of the water of the lake were too undesirable to continue in the same way. The problem how to use inverse into how to use wise.

The area attracts several hundred thousands of visitors every year due to historical, archaeological and architectural monuments. The shoreline of the Lake Sevan is the most popular and traditional place for recreation, especially in summer.

Human activity have had such a negative effects as water level decrease, deterioration of a water quality, destruction of natural habitats and loss of biodiversity.

Regulation of using of the natural resources, restoration of waterfowl habitats, protection of natural and artificial plant communities, monitoring studies such as of fish stocks should be taken into account in the park management plan.

Large area of the Sevan National Park and its external protective zone, ecological, economic and social values of the site requires besides enforcement strengthening such active measures as re-naturalisation of the lost habitats.