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The reasons behind the algae bloom in Lake Sevan, Armenia’s largest freshwater reservoir, are various, and the Environment Ministry is constantly monitoring the situation with the lake, minister Erik Grigoryan said at an extraordinary parliament session on Tuesday.

His comments came in response to a question of Bright Armenian opposition faction MP Edmon Marukyan about whether an expertise conclusion on the situation is available and how the problem can possibly be resolved.

The minster noted similar phenomena in Russia's Lake Baikal, the Black Sea and other lakes. He named the discharge of sewage or wastewater from coastal hotels and restaurants into the lake as one of the factors at play.

“The next reason is that there are green areas under the water that emit huge amounts of organic substances into the lake,” he said.

The minister stressed the main reason is the damage of the so-called cold water layer above Late Sevan caused by a decrease in the lake water levels.

“A six-meter increase of the lake levels should lead to the recovery of the cold layer, due to which the growth of organic substances will decline, and the high quality of the Sevan water will maintain,” he said.

Grigoryan said his ministry has created preconditions for cooperation with two international organizations to handle the threats facing the lake.

The minister said they have applied to the German government to carry out large-scale study of the lake, involving several leading German institutions experienced with solving similar issues.

“There will be a clear diagnosis as a result of those works and it will be clear what solutions will be required,” he added.