Armenia's mining industry poses environmental risks not only to the country itself but also to the wider region, Amin Mammadov, chairman of the Water Use Specialists Public Union, said at a briefing organized by the Environmental Protection First NGO Coalition on the environmental impact of mining activities in Armenia.
According to Report, Mammadov said waste from Armenia's mining industry reaches transboundary rivers through groundwater and causes environmental damage in neighboring countries.
He said quarries in Alaverdi and Syunik had a particularly significant impact on groundwater pollution.
Mammadov also said that the volume of water released from Lake Goycha (Sevan) to meet irrigation demand significantly exceeded historical natural flow levels, increasing the risk of the lake drying up and negatively affecting its biodiversity.
He added that, as Azerbaijan is a downstream country in the Caucasus, pollution of transboundary rivers in Armenia had the greatest impact on Azerbaijan.
Mammadov also said the Armenian government was still failing to comply with the requirements of the Espoo Convention.
According to him, Armenia does not ensure transparency in this area and does not provide environmental impact assessment reports to the governments or societies of neighboring countries in line with obligations under the Convention.
He noted that the Espoo Convention, a key UN instrument on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context, requires such information to be provided.
Mammadov added that the continued operation of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, which dates back to the Soviet era, also remained a serious concern.