On August 18, 2025, a group of NGOs issued a joint statement regarding the recurring fire at the Nubarashen landfill site and the systemic problems of Armenia’s waste management. The statement includes recommendations and demands aimed at preventing air, soil, and water pollution, protecting public health, and introducing waste sorting and recycling systems. The statement is addressed to the Government of Armenia and Yerevan Municipality.
“EcoLur” Information NGO also joined the statement, stressing the urgent need to address the issue.
The statement says: “The fire at Nubarashen landfill site, which lasted for several days, covered Yerevan and nearby communities with thick smoke and stench. Although, according to official data, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Rescue Service staff managed to contain the fire, the landfill site continued to smolder for days, indicating that burning persisted in its deeper layers. For days, smoke containing toxic elements reached different districts of Yerevan, exacerbating existing health problems among residents, especially those with respiratory conditions or allergies.
According to data from the Ministry of Environment, air pollution in Yerevan already significantly exceeds permissible levels, especially in certain districts.
In recent years, the Nubarashen landfill site has caught fire repeatedly, emitting hazardous and disease-causing substances into the atmosphere. Each time, temporary solutions are applied — usually covering the upper layer with soil — until the next fire outbreak.
Nubarashen is Armenia’s largest landfill site, receiving 1,000–1,300 tons of waste daily, including hazardous waste. This open landfill site does not meet international standards; it is not even fenced. No bottom insulation has been installed, resulting in leachate seeping into the soil and contaminating groundwater, air, and land — posing serious risks to residents’ health.
Moreover, studies show that dozens of people, including minors, sort recyclable waste at the landfill site without protective equipment.
Since 2016, city authorities have repeatedly discussed constructing a new landfill site and closing/conserving the old one, even allocating 24 hectares of land for this purpose.
In 2023, the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights expressed concern over Armenia’s ‘high levels of air pollution and their impact on health, particularly among vulnerable groups.’ The Committee recommended that the Government of Armenia ‘redouble its efforts to combat air pollution and improve enforcement of relevant regulations, considering the latest WHO Air Quality Guidelines to strengthen air quality standards.’”
Considering the above concerns, the undersigned NGOs demand from the Government of Armenia and Yerevan Municipality to:
- Organize public hearings with the participation of specialized and interested organizations and experts to discuss programs on waste sorting, recycling plants, and safe disposal sites (polygons) for non-recyclable waste.
- Announce a competition in the shortest possible time for expanding waste sorting and recycling infrastructure, and for constructing safe disposal polygons, ensuring cooperation with international organizations that comply with global standards.
- Close/conserve the Nubarashen landfill site as soon as possible, ensuring environmental protection and preventing leakage and emission of toxic substances.
- Enforce the prohibition of the worst forms of child labor.
- Until Nubarashen landfill site is closed, monitor and prevent/exclude waste collection and sorting activities there; if impossible, immediately provide protective equipment, vaccinations, and health checks for those engaged in landfill site work (including informal workers). Specialized services (firefighters/rescuers) must also work only with protective measures ensured.
- Together with the Ministry of Health and other expert bodies, conduct a study to assess the current situation, health risks, and damage already caused — with special attention to children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and people with chronic diseases.
- Ensure independent, regular, and publicly accessible monitoring of air, soil, and water pollution levels, so residents are informed and can take protective measures.
Signatory NGOs:
- Protection of Rights without Borders NGO
- Community Consolidation and Support Center NGO
- “Agenda of Persons with Disabilities’ Rights” NGO
- “Armenian Progressive Youth” NGO
- Public Journalism Club NGO
- “EcoLur” Information NGO
- Journalists for Human Rights NGO
- “Pink” Human Rights NGO"
August 18, 2025 at 14:54