Lake Sevan Experience and Lessons Learned Brief Araik Babayan, Land Use Planning Institute, Yerevan, Armenia Susanna Hakobyan, Institute of Hydroecology and Ichthyology of the National Academy of Sciences, Yerevan, Armenia Karen Jenderedjian*, Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan, Armenia,
[email protected] Siranush Muradyan, Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan, Armenia Mikhail Voskanov, Ministry of Nature Protection, Yerevan, Armenia * Corresponding author 1. Description of Lake Sevan infl uenced an array of hydrological and ecological conditions at the lakeshore and in the lake. The most important of these are: Lake Sevan (Figure 1) is situated in the northern part of the draining of the wetlands, worsening of the water quality, the Armenian Volcanic Highland, in Gegharkhounik Marz changed species succession, and biodiversity loss. Lake Sevan (province), 60 km to the north from the capital of Armenia, is the most important source of fresh water and freshwater fi sh Yerevan (Figure 2). Lake Sevan is the greatest lake of the in the Transcaucasus Region. The importance of Lake Sevan Caucasus Region and one of the greatest freshwater high- in the economy of Armenia can scarcely be exaggerated: it mountain lakes of Eurasia. The basin of Lake Sevan makes up is the main source of irrigation water and provides low cost one sixth of the total territory of Armenia. A peculiarity of Lake electricity, fi sh, recreation, and tourism. Sevan includes that the small ratio between the catchment and surface area of the lake is only 3:1, compared to other major Lake Sevan and the wetlands of the basin are signifi cant lakes (10:1 on average).