Expert community: Lydian Armenia`s approach to developing integrated actions to mitigate the impact on biodiversity can be the best example in the mining industry

ArmInfo. Director of Lydian  Armenia Sustainable Development Armen Stepanian and founder of the  British consulting company for environmental protection TWC Joe  Trevick at the Washington International Biodiversity Symposium held  in the second week of November presented the Lydian Armenia programs  being implemented. This is stated in the company's official  announcement.

According to the source, at the final meeting of the symposium, A.  Stepanyan made a presentation, presenting the company's experience in  managing biodiversity in the Amulsar deposit. In particular, Lydian  initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact that the company  implements, guided by the best international experience. And as a  result of cooperation between the public and private sectors, the  company's experience in improving standards in the mining sector.

In particular, many biodiversity specialists noted that Lydian's  approach to developing integrated mitigation measures and in the  protection of rare species could be the best example in the mining  industry. In this vein, they noted the program of research and  conservation of the Alpine plant Potentilla porphyrantha, which the  company implements jointly with the Institute of Botany of the RA of  ANAS and the Botanical Garden of the Cambridge Institute. Lydian  remains true to the responsibility assumed in the issue of conducting  biodiversity management activities aimed at sustainable development  with the involvement of the best Armenian and international  specialists, "the company said in a statement.

It should be noted that Joe Trevik, who is one of Lydian's main  advisors in biodiversity conservation issues, and the main consultant  for the implementation of the Jermuk National Park program, was  co-chairman of the International Symposium on behalf of the  International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), the  International Union for Environmental Protection and Natural  Resources (IUCN), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Let us recall that Lydian Armenia is a subsidiary of the British  Lydian International, whose shareholders are also large international  institutional investors from the United States, Great Britain and a  number of European countries, including IFC and EBRD. The Amulsar  project is the largest industrial project in Armenia for the  development of the Amulsar gold deposit at a total cost of $ 370  million. In August 2016, a project for the construction and  development of the field was launched. Preliminary work has been  carried out since 2006. The life of the Amulsar deposit will be 10  years and 4 months, an annual average of 200,000 ounces of gold  (about 10 million tons of ore) is planned. The company's shares are  quoted on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Amulsar deposit is the second  largest in Armenia.