ArmInfo. Employees of reserves and specially protected areas have increased salaries by 40%, and in some cases 100%, Acting Minister of Nature Protection of Armenia Eric Grigoryan announced on November 23 at a meeting with journalists.
He noted that the specially protected areas were equipped with modern appliances and the lighting system was updated. They were also given fire trucks.
As for international programs, at the moment, according to the Acting Minister, programs worth $ 78 million are being implemented. Thus, $ 1 million was allocated for the modernization of the monitoring system, $ 1.5 million was allocated to the pilot waste management program from the closed quarry in Artik city, the German Development Bank allocated a grant of 23.2 million euros to preserve biodiversity in the country, there is also a contract between Armenia and the British Embassy on "Improving the management of specially protected areas", 11.3 million drams was allocated for this program.
Due to legislative changes, the procedures for the construction of hydropower plants on rivers were tightened. "In addition, the agreement on 117 million drams was canceled for cleaning the coastal areas of Sevan Lake ", Grigoryan said.
He also said that for the first time in Armenia a waste-sorting infrastructure was created at the garbage dump in Ararat region.
To note, while the Acting Minister held a press conference, representatives of the Armenian Ecological Front tried to enter the building below. At the end of the press conference, they entered the reception room of the acting Minister, demanded to meet with him and stated that they intend to raise important issues. They also demanded a live broadcast. Grigoryan agreed to meet with them, however, flatly refused to live. As a result, the parties did not come to a consensus, and representatives of the Armenian Ecological Front retired from the Ministry.