The World Water Day held each year on March 22 aims to highlight the importance of freshwater and reiterate the increasing need for sustainable water management.

In Yerevan the World Water Day was celebrated with a cycling event, which mainly focused on the ecological disaster that the country may be facing if a green light is given for mining in Sevan basin.

Article 10 of RA Law on Sevan prohibits mining and extraction activity in the basin of Lake Sevan. Nevertheless, lately there have been talks that the GeoProMining company plans to move the gold production unit from Ararat to Sotq, which will put the Lake and eventually possibly the whole population in danger.

It is generally unheard of for Armenian ecologists to give a unified single opinion on any environmental issue in Armenia but in the case of Sevan almost all of them will say that exploitation of the Sotk gold mine will eventually bring to the death of Sevan Lake.

“Sevan is in danger” this was the message that young activists tried to convene to the population of the capital today through the cycling event. A group of 30-35 cyclists will grab anyone’s attention in our city, even more so when all are wearing SOS Sevan badges and posters.

Unfortunately, for an average citizen from the capital Sevan remains only a recreation area, which is actively visited during the summer as a good spot to have barbeque and drinks. Not many perceive Sevan as the main reservoir of freshwater and not only for Armenia but for the region. How many of us fully comprehend the importance of freshwater and how it affects all aspects of our life be it health, food we eat, environment we live in, industry and development in general. Yet, we put this vital resource under threat with our silent consent to poisoning for profit of selected few and without understanding of the direct consequence for the current and future generations.
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