ArmeniaNow  --  Environmentalists, who are among the most active members of civil society in Armenia, have registered an unprecedented success this year, managing to prevent a hydro-power plant’s construction on picturesque Trchkan waterfall, which is situated on the administrative border of Armenia’s northern Shirak and Lori provinces. As a result of sit-in protests and a number of pickets in the territory of the waterfall, organized by a group of environmental activists (mainly young), the Government made a decision to grant the tallest (25.5 meters) and most abundant waterfall in the country – Trchkan - a specially protected area status.

However, other environmental issues, as in previous years this year too remain to be either unsolved or become worse; moreover the old problems are added by new ones. For example, environmentalists are concerned over the bill on amendments to the Law ‘On Environmental Impact Assessment’ passed by first hearing by the National Assembly. Under the existing law, the authorized body had the right to prolong the dates for examination of all papers related to the project up to 180 days, now the days are reduced to 90. Environmentalists worry that the bill is aimed at improvement of the business environment at the expense of nature.

The situation remains tense in southern Syunik province’s small border village Qajaran , the residents of which are currently fighting against giving the 27 hectares agricultural land areas belonging to the administrative territory of the village to one of Armenia’s mining industrial giants – Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Plant, as part of plant expansion. Qajaran residents say they do not want their gardens and water polluted with heavy metals – a feared outcome of the expanded mining operation. Head of Qajaran village has resigned his post and dropped his membership in the Republican Party of Armenia, refusing to sign an agreement by which the eminent domain of public land areas will be given to the plant.

Environmentalists continue to be concerned over the problems of Lake Sevan. An environmental organization Ecolur spread a statement warning that toxic compounds from mines operating in the Sevan drainage basin in Sotq, Shorzha and Jil intoxicate the lake hour by hour. However, this problem remains unsolved.

Residents of Hrazdan raised an alarm over the development of iron mines which are located within a kilometer from their town, as it carries environmental risks not only for Hrazdan, but also for neighboring areas. And even though the total mine development has not started yet, drilling work has been started there since late this year. Chinese Fortune Oil Company which bought the iron mine from Suren Ayvazyan, son of Vardan Ayvazyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the National Assembly, former Minister of Nature Protection, insists that it possesses all the legal bases for the mine development.

One of the main health concerns of the year was the information about selective abortions determined by a child’s sex, according to which parents in Armenia prefer having sons instead of daughters, especially during the second and third pregnancy, and when a fetus’ (embryo’s) sex is disclosed to be female then parents prefer artificial termination of pregnancy. Demographers say that if they continue this way then in two decades Armenia will have a ‘women deficit’. In this regard, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the “Prenatal sex selection” resolution, which appeals to “investigate the causes and reasons behind skewed sex ratios at birth; to step up efforts to raise the status of women in society” throughout the whole territory of Armenia.

The next problem refers to the ‘ageing’ society of Armenia. Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has recently touched upon this issue, admitting that the decline in birth rate we well as the migration cause it. During recent years less children are born in Armenia as a result of which, specialists say, in a few decades Armenia will face threat of a demographic crisis.

The developments and achievements in the sphere of tourism this year are inferior to last year, when the longest Tatev ropeway in the world was opened and when Armenia appeared in the center of the world’s attention because of world's oldest (5500- year-old) leather shoe, found in a cave in Areni, Vayots Dzor province. However, Armenians were pleasantly surprised when as a result of an international vote the world-famous National Geographic Traveler magazine ranked Armenia among the top three countries according to active -- including extreme – rest. In Armenia where tourism is regarded as part of the general economic development policy there are ample opportunities for developing particularly such a niche in the industry as extreme tourism.

Nevertheless, Armenia continues to be inferior to its neighbors in tourism. According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness 2011 Report , published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) early this year, Armenia is less competitive in the sphere than neighboring Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. According to the report, Armenia, which is in 40th place among 42 European countries, must yet take many steps to become a more attractive destination.