Author: Ping-Yen Tsai (Jeff) – Taiwan Student representative of 2018 International Student Conservation Leadership Summit
To begin, I spent my last two years completing the 2-year International Baccalaureate Course in Dilijan, Armenia. Through rigorous academic training and extracurricular activities, I absorbed as much knowledge on environmental issues as possible during my time in the town.
Armenia is situated in the spectacular ridges of the Southern Caucasus region with distinct seasonal changes. Since its former Soviet government prioritized economic incentives, the country faces numerous hurdles when striving toward well-rounded sustainable management. In Summer 2019, the largest fresh lake in Armenia, Lake Sevan, encountered a threatening outbreak of eutrophication and algal bloom. The poor wastewater treatment, industrial waste from the tourism industry, and household waste had intensified the residents’ negative impact on local ecosystems. According to the Armenian Environmental Front in 2019, the concentration level of blue-green algae has made a record high since 2002, surpassing 50 mg/L.
Upon arriving on campus in 2019, my friends and I organized the first Armenian Environmental Forum to advocate for environmental justice in Armenia. I was in charge of the Waste Management Assembly. During our discussions to analyze the current management protocols in Armenia, we brought up the Aghstev River that flows through campus. Looking at the household waste that drifts and accumulates in the river bed, it is hard to imagine how one begins to clean up the river. Armenia generates more than 370 tonnes of trash annually, but legal waste treatment plants are not present nationwide. The Dilijan residents have no countermeasures, and the recycling rate hits almost zero percent!
As one faces a wicked problem, we must tackle it from its roots. By joining the Greenhouse Club to grow vegetables for the cafeteria, our club hopes to encourage the school community to reduce our overall ecological footprint. In addition, this Spring, the Student Council accomplished to set up a Vegetarian Day to cut down on meat consumption. Furthermore, my classmates have collaborated with women of low-income backgrounds to release eco-bags, aiming to reduce one-time plastic product consumption in the town. When I stepped into local communities, daily observations restructured my thoughts to bring about good influence. If Armenia desires to implement its measures for sustainability, it must congregate public voices for better results.
Harvard Style Referencing：
1.Arushanyan, A., Jzmachyan, N. and Anakhasyan, E. (2019). Republic of Armenia: Summary reports in accordance with article 7 of the Protocol on Water and Health. [online] UNECE, Switzerland: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, pp.14–16. Available at: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/water/Protocol_reports/reports_pdf_web/2019_reports/Armenia_Protocol_report_4th_cycle_2May19.pdf [Accessed 20Jul.2021].
2.Armenian Environmental Front (2019). Diagram of Chlorophyll and Algae Content in Lake Sevan (2002-19). Armenian Environmental Front. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/armecofront/photos/p.3095278250512218/3095278250512218/?type=3 [Accessed 1 Aug. 2021].
3.Armenia’s iconic lake faces algae threat. (2019). BBC News. [online] 8Jul.Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-48907971.
4.Hovhannisyan, A. (2015). https://hetq.am/en/article/62141. [online] Hetq Online. Available at: https://hetq.am/en/article/62141 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2021].