ATP News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 2, 2006

Environmental Film No. 3: “Threads of Hope” (Lake Sevan)

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The third in a series of environmental films produced by Vem Media Arts in Armenia, titled “Threads of Hope” was funded by Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Forests NGO, and World Wildlife Fund Caucasus Office. The film provides a historical overview of Lake Sevan and the environmental concerns facing the lake and its watershed.

“Today, many species of fish have vanished, while others are a rarity. Lake Sevan has become unfit not only for the habitat of the trout but also for the less demanding white-fish. Only carp, which can live even in the dirtiest waters, seems to be immune to the compromised ecosystem of this once pristine natural treasure,” states the narrator in the opening of the film.

Water resources are an indication of a country’s vitality, which is why Lake Sevan is so important for the Armenian nation. In difficult times, Armenians looked to Lake Sevan as a source of sustenance. During the economic blockade of the early 1990s, for example, the white-fish of Lake Sevan became a primary food source.

In 1949, the Sevan-Hrazdan Cascade of hydroelectric power stations was launched. As a result, the lake level dropped by 19.6 m, and the volume by 25.2 billion cubic meters. The use of the lake for energy continued until 1997.

In 1978, the Sevan National Park was founded to manage the Sevan basin, and raising the level of Lake Sevan has been a top priority for a long time. For the natural recovery and purification process to start, the water level should be raised to a minimum of 6.5 meters, according to experts interviewed for the film.

Construction in the coastal areas below 1,908 meters above sea level is prohibited, since the water is expected to reach this level if the governmental plan for the restoration of Sevan’s ecosystem is implemented. However, the film reveals that violations can be seen everywhere--over 400 buildings were constructed along the lake, according to the film.

“If the water level rises, these structures will be submerged,” according to Nelly Voskanova, an expert at the Sevan National Park Nature Museum. “Also, ordinary citizens can no longer use the lake like before. All these lands were sold off to private owners.”

Regarding the pollution of the lake, Hambardzum Hambardzumyan, head of the Gegharkunik Province Environmental Inspectorate, explains that in summer almost all of the river water is in use and the lake is fed only by wastewater. “The Gavara River is one of the main polluters of Lake Sevan. The sewage pours into Lake Sevan without prior treatment, while garbage accumulates on the shores. There are no sewage treatment centers,” states the narrator. As a result, the density of oxygen in the lake has dropped by several times and the concentration of nitrogen has increased 30 times.

“The internal currents and the Gavara River are fed with the sewage from the town of Gavar. So if we fail to bring additional pure water to Sevan through the Arpa-Sevan Canal and the Vorotan and Arpa rivers, we will see even greater damage than today,” states Hambardzumyan.

Eveline Ghukasyan of the Institute of Hydroecology states that the decreased water level combined with the dumping of manufacturing, agricultural, and household waste waters into the lake has added unwanted bio-elements to the water and intensified the growth of algae, all of which lowers the water quality.

The film concludes with an overview of the challenges facing the rare wildlife around Lake Sevan. Intensive land development has reduced the number of plant species listed in the IUCN Red Book, according to the film. Sevan is also noted for its biodiversity of animal species, and at one time scientists listed 167 species of birds there. Among the marshes surrounding Sevan, migrant birds included ducks, geese, and pelicans, but today most of these species can be found only in Sevan’s Nature Museum.

“Can we weave a new vision of Armenia’s future with threads of hope—with Lake Sevan among the strongest?” asks the narrator in the final scene.

Written by Inga Zarafyan, produced by Manuk Hergnyan, and directed by Hayk Kbeyan, the 23-minute documentary “Threads of Hope” is being made available for personal and public viewing in DVD format. To acquire a copy of the film in the diaspora with English subtitles, contact Armenia Tree Project via email at info@armeniatree.org.

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