YEREVAN, OCTOBER 26, NOYAN TAPAN. About 82% of Armenia's territory is subject to desertification of various degrees, Ashot Vardevanian, the person in charge of implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Fight against Desertification in Armenia, stated at the October 26 press conference. According to him, such factors as illegal deforestation and cattle overpasturing contribute to desertification. A. Vardevanian said that the convention members, including Armenia, are divided into two groups: donor and damaged countries. Armenia is considered a damaged country so a national action plan on the fight against desertification was developed and has been implemented in the country since 2002. A number of measures, including the program on natural resource management and poverty reduction and the program on restoration of the irrigation system, are being taken within the framework of this action plan. It was mentioned that arid lands occupy about 40% of our planet or 6.1 billion ha, with one fifth of the world's population living there.

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