The attitude to the project of Shnogh hydro power plant (HPP) on Debed river will determine the observation of environmental standards.

Environmentalist, former Minister of Nature Preservation of Armenia Karine Danielyan said the aforementioned on Thursday, referring upon the request of Armenian News – NEWS.am to the respective decision of the Armenian Government. 

The expert recalled that the global attitude towards HPPs is positive, since they are considered as an alternative means to receive energy.  “But the situation is different in Armenia. Rivers are overloaded with small HPPs. Nobody observes ecological norms. Consequently, rivers turn into channels and their ecosystem disappears. This influences the adjacent settlements and farms, depriving them of irrigation water. Thus, if everything is implemented in observance with environmental standards so that the ecosystem doesn’t suffer, environmentalists shouldn’t be against. But the practice shows that usually this is not the case,” Danielyan said.