Armenia
Yerevan’s ‘unhealthy’ air provokes harsh reactions from residents
The high rates of air pollution in the Armenian capital remains a hot topic on social media.
On 5 April, Georgia’s Ministry of Environment revealed the illegal felling and transportation in western Georgia of Colchis box trees — a species of slow-growing, endangered evergreen shrubs.
A case was reported in the Martvili District of Samegrelo Region, near the spa resort of Lebarde. The ministry’s Environmental Supervision Department stopped a car carrying box tree branches.
Cutting down or damaging box trees is prohibited in Georgia, and is punishable by fines of ₾150–₾500 ($60–$210). If the environmental damage from cutting box trees exceeds ₾1000 ($420), a criminal investigation will start.
The ministry reported that the environmental damage in this case amounted to ₾49,000 ($20,000), and a criminal investigation has been opened.
Box trees are widely cut in Georgia every year. Their branches are used during a religious ceremony to mark the ‘entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem’. According to the Bible, people greeted Christ with palm branches on the Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday — celebrated a week before Easter — is observed in predominantly Orthodox Georgia, but palm leaves are replaced with box trees. In Russia a species of willow is used.
In 2017, Palm Sunday (bzoba in Georgian) will be observed on 9 April. Orthodox Christians in the country usually buy box tree branches to celebrate the holiday. Despite the Orthodox Church discouraging the overconsumption of the plant, it is still endangered.
The Colchis box tree or Buxus colchica (Georgian: kolkhuri bza), is an endemic plant to the region, and is included in Georgia’s Red Book — a state list of rare and endangered species of animals and plants in the country. On top of widespread cutting, it is also under threat from a fungus — Cylindrocladium buxicola.
Related Articles
Armenia
Eurasian Development Bank rejects loan for Amulsar mine operations
Armenian Economic Minister Gevorg Papoyan stated that discussions are ongoing with commercial banks in Armenia after the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) rejected a loan to operate the Amulsar gold mine. This has led to speculation that the EDB’s decision was influenced by the results of the environmental assessment it commissioned as part of its final loan decision. Papoyan refrained from commenting on the reasons behind the EDB’s decision and instead noted that over the past few years, Armenia
Azerbaijan
Fossil fuel deals raise alarms at Azerbaijan’s COP29 summit
Since being chosen to host the UN’s annual climate summit last year, the oil-rich country has provoked concern among observers and activists over potential conflicts of interest. As details emerge of Azerbaijan’s attempts to use COP29 to promote its oil and gas industries, some worry the legitimacy of the conference could be at risk. On the walk into the sprawling tent complex that hosts COP29, the UN flag whips in the wind next to another featuring the logo of SOCAR — the state-run oil com
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan and Georgia discuss establishing a green energy pipeline to Europe at COP29
Energy officials from Azerbaijan and Georgia have held talks with their Hungarian and Romanian counterparts regarding a green energy pipeline connecting the South Caucasus and the EU. However, the project faces delays due to a lack of certainty over funding. Meeting on the sidelines of the COP29 summit in Baku, ministers from the four countries discussed their intention to lay hundreds of kilometres of fibre optic cable under the Black Sea for a project they say will promote both green transit
Most Popular
Subscribe to our newsletter
