According to economist Suren Parsyan, the forest fires in Lori and Tavush regions have caused an estimated damage of around 200 million dollars. This includes the need to construct roads, restore property, and rebuild houses. Parsyan, an environmentalist, shared this information during an interview with NEWS.am. He explained that the recovery from the consequences of the fires will take at least 3-5 years and will impact various aspects such as business support, loan repayments, immigration, and resettlement expenses. The fires have caused significant harm to the region’s forests, businesses, and infrastructure, leading to major environmental and economic crises.

In this affected area, which is home to significant natural reserves like the Debed and Aghstev rivers, as well as eight cities and nearly 30 villages, the damage extends beyond the destruction of roads and bridges. The region has also suffered from the loss of essential resources needed for reconstruction. Moreover, the closure of the railway has further hindered the recovery process, as it requires substantial resources. Environmental damage includes the impact on important areas like the Khosrov and Teghut reserves, as well as the Alaverdi smelter which remained non-operational for a while.

Parsyan emphasized that the region’s recovery will be slow due to the need for reconstructing the railway and transporting construction materials, both of which demand significant resources. The closure of the railway has also led to difficulties in transporting agricultural products, resulting in increased costs. Furthermore, Parsyan predicts that the reconstruction of the roads will be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. The management is considering constructing them with new standards, where the cost of one kilometer of road can reach or exceed 1 billion Armenian drams.