Ecology: Tree plan Armenia

The serious energy crisis of the beginning of the nineties (caused by the stopping of the nuclear power station after the earthquake, by the difficult financial status which drew away the fall of USSR and by conflict with Azerba djan) had serious consequences to environment.

Indeed the lack of fuel forced populations to stock up wooden and caused deforestation of a lot of the Armenian territory.

Hundreds of thousand trees were slaughtered with for
consequence loss about five thousand hectares of forests every year. Given that a hectare includes about one thousand trees on average, it is possible to estimate the number of trunks slaughtered in more than five millions.

70 % of them were used as means of heating by the poor families of the rural zones which did not have other source of energy; the remaining part was commercialised by the industrialists of the wood.

At present only 8 % lands are covered with wood and forests.

The loss of forested heritage caused huge damage in landscapes, augmented the processes of erosion of soil, favoured the desertification of some regions and aggravated the quality of air.

Cry of distress thrown by the ecological associations fortunately did not stay without answer. Initiatives increased to stop the drift of environment and several concrete plans are to signal for the recovery of forested heritage.

Among these let us mention especially Tree plan Armenia , an arm no-American organisation which has got involved for some years in an ambitious programme of reafforestation of the Armenian territory.

The objective of its action is not only to establish new trees, but also to be concerned about education in environment and to favour at the same time the socioeconomic development of populations by reducing the poverty of the rural regions.

Founded in 1994 in the initiative of the American philanthropist Carolyn Mugar, the association counts about fifty employees (almost all in Armenia).

More than 750 000 new trees were planted in various zones of the country favour also with the aid of hundred of volunteers and in the financial contributions of many individuals mainly of the diaspora.

Donations can be performed in an anonymous way or "certified", personal or for thirds, and, as it is case in Israel, the possibility of substituting a contribution, during funeral, for the tradition of flowers for the trees of Armenia, is also envisaged.

Objective is to succeed in establishing, in a dozen years, 15 million new trees and to delay so the Armenian landscape in the state where it was some decades ago.

The dealers in reforestation always act in unison with the rural communities, which are involved in operation and encouraged in an active participation which improves their condition, by appointing for example to some families the management of nursery gardens and the care of plantations. Activity displayed in educational middle is also important, with the students as with institutions, to develop education in environment to the young people.

Article posted by Siberianna

Source: www.comunitaarmena.it

They Written by Siberianna October 3rd, on 2006 with no comments.
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