Environmental situation in the Republic of Armenia

This paper presents the environmental situation in Armenia with particular reference to (1) air, water, and soil pollution; (2) common and photochemical smog in the capital city, Yerevan, and other major cities; (3) household and industrial waste; (4) distribution of contaminated food imported from regions affected by the Chernobyl accident; (5) wasteful depletion of natural resources; (6) lack of a continuous monitoring of the environment and the public health; (7) absence of filtering equipment, and; (8) the extinction of plant and animal species. Armenia is currently living under an economic blockade which makes even elementary environmental protection projects such as water treatment difficult to accomplish. Even more important, the blockade may force the opening of the Armenian nuclear reactors at Medzamor leading to questions such as waste management. Medzamor was closed after the 1988 earthquake because it is located on a fault line