Kristine Aghabekyan, medialab.am
"MediaLab" interviews Inga Zarafyan, President of“EcoLur” Informationl NGO
– According to observations conducted by "Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center" SNCO of RA Environment Ministry, the concentration of undifferentiated dust in Yerevan's air exceeded the maximum permissible limit by up to 2.0 times in January. Ms. Zarafyan, what are the causes of this air pollution, and what impact will it have on public health?
– It is undeniable that Yerevan is a polluted city because its entire structure is aggressive. We have lost our protective green zones - Dalma Gardens, Nork Gardens, and the second protective belt, the Hrazdan River Gorge, which played a crucial regulatory role for the entire city. We have been deprived of this natural buffer.
Thirdly, we have lost our public spaces, and whatever remains has been asphalted, offering no protective function. We have also lost green spaces in residential courtyards.
Another major pollution source is Nubarashen landfill site, which has been smoldering for years, releasing numerous toxic chemical compounds into the air.
– The Mayor has announced that active measures are being taken to reduce air pollution…
– They have started working on it. About two weeks ago, we held a roundtable discussion, and representatives of the Municipality have already held multiple consultations with "Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center" SNCO. They are working on unified monitoring schemes, and we hope that later we will be able to compare internationally obtained data with those of the Municipality and the monitoring center to understand what exactly is happening. It is certain that they have begun working on the issue, and we hope that the process will be completed as soon as possible.
February 07, 2025 at 13:35