The Environmental Toll of Conflict on Armenia’s Shikahogh State Reserve
- Armed conflict along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border has left parts of the Shikahogh State Reserve barren, raising urgent concerns among conservationists and local officials about ecosystem destruction and restricted...
- Founded in 1958 in Armenia’s Syunik Province, the nearly 30,000-acre reserve is about 94 percent forested and serves as a vital habitat for rare species including the Caucasian...
- While Armenian officials and residents link the environmental damage to border militarisation, Azerbaijani representatives argue that attention should also focus on industrial pollution.
Armed conflict along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border has left parts of the Shikahogh State Reserve barren, raising urgent concerns among conservationists and local officials about ecosystem destruction and restricted wildlife corridors in the South Caucasus.
How has the border conflict affected Shikahogh State Reserve?
Founded in 1958 in Armenia’s Syunik Province, the nearly 30,000-acre reserve is about 94 percent forested and serves as a vital habitat for rare species including the Caucasian leopard, Bezoar ibex, brown bear, and Armenian viper. On October 22, field observations revealed that large patches of hillside near military positions facing each other across the frontier have been stripped of vegetation and trees. Marat Harutyunyan, Deputy Mayor of Kapan, alleged that Azerbaijani forces cleared sections of forest for military positions and access roads, though the full extent has not been independently verified.
What are the competing environmental claims from Azerbaijan?
While Armenian officials and residents link the environmental damage to border militarisation, Azerbaijani representatives argue that attention should also focus on industrial pollution. Amin Mammadov, co-founder of the Environmental Protection First (EPF) Coalition and Chairman of the Public Council under Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, said Armenia was selectively drawing attention to local forest loss while ignoring pollution of transboundary rivers from mining activities. Additionally, Mugabil Bayramov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Cartographers Public Union, pointed to a 2024 GIS-based map titled Mineral Raw Materials Resources of the Republic of Armenia that identifies mining enterprises and rivers allegedly affected by industrial pollutants.
How are local livelihoods and wildlife corridors disrupted?
Military positions and landmine risks have altered how residents use the border landscape. Farmer Vladik Agatelyan stated that a mine blast killed two of his cows, prompting him to stop raising cattle and forcing his wife to take a school teaching job that pays 100 dollars a month. Meanwhile, retired veterinarian Manvel Arzumanyan noted that animal movements have dropped significantly in an area that once functioned as an ecological corridor linking habitats across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Harut Marzynyan, a zoologist at the reserve, added that conflict-related security concerns and restricted access have made it increasingly difficult to track wildlife and conduct regular field surveys.
Why is conflict-related environmental damage missing from COP17?
At the COP17 biodiversity negotiations, delegates are debating how to mobilise billions of dollars to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, but dedicated funding mechanisms for war-damaged ecosystems remain largely absent. George Mitri, Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Balamand, argued that ecological recovery must eventually be linked to compensation mechanisms and international financial support. Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, declined to comment directly on the Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute during the conference, but warned delegates that no economy is immune from the wider impacts of biodiversity loss.
