Environmentalists are warning that in Armenia illegal logging continues unabated and offer pilot programs to deal with the situation by influencing the demand in firewood through ensuring alternative access to fuel.

Within the framework of the research conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Center for Agribusiness Research and Education (ICARE) a survey has been conducted among 819 households in Armenia’s eight provinces located near forests and among 20 sawmills situated in three provinces that are rich in forests. The survey reveals that the minimum annual amount of illegal logging of forests makes 240,000 cubic meters, which approximately 80 times exceeds the official figures.

Agribusiness Research Center head Tatevik Zohrabyan says that during the last seven years Armenia has seen a decrease in its forest resources, whereas the price of one cubic meter of firewood has increased.

“The firewood price increase is due to additional costs required to get the material from parts of the forest that can be accessed with greater difficulty. The average level of firewood consumption by the households participating in our surveys in the past seven years has decreased by 11.8 percent, and the average price of one cubic meter of firewood has increased by 29 percent,” says Zohrabyan, adding that unless alternatives are offered, many economic entities in Armenia will continue to use firewood as their main fuel still for a long time.

Specialists say that one of the main causes of logging in Armenia is the high level of poverty and a relatively low price of firewood as compared to natural gas, electricity or fuel prices in a lot of communities situated near forests and woods. Environmentalists, therefore, are offering programs that they hope will result in a reduction of the scale of logging.

“For improving the living conditions of communities near forests it is suggested that reception points be set up for non-wooden products (such as fruits, berries, vegetables) and that a large-scale use of solar energy and biogas should ensure access to alternative sources of fuel,” says Zohrabyan.

“For Sustainable Human Development” NGO head Karine Danielyan also suggests providing forest wastes to residents.

“The wastes make quite a large percentage; unfortunately, by law it is not allowed to use these wastes free of charge, while their picking those wastes will be for the common good,” says the leading environmentalist.