Ampop Media examined recent climate deviations recorded across Armenia, the factors driving them, and the level of preparedness among state and local institutions should similar events occur again.
Although Armenia is among the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters (0.02%), it remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Before 2015, the country’s average temperature had already risen by 1.23°C compared to the pre-industrial period (1929). Since then, it has climbed even higher - reaching 1.6-1.7°C above the norm. As a result, the frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards such as floods, mudflows, hailstorms, droughts, wildfires, and frost have increased markedly, with serious consequences for ecosystems, the economy, and society.
According to a rapid post-disaster needs assessment supported by the UN Office, the May floods in Lori and Tavush alone caused more than USD 82 million in economic losses, while recovery needs exceeded USD 117 million.
The flooding of the Debed River damaged major transport routes -nearly 30 kilometers of roadway - along with several bridges, leaving seven settlements completely cut off.
Communication lines were disrupted, and the delivery of food and medical assistance was significantly delayed.
The flood exposed significant gaps in Armenia’s disaster preparedness and response systems, particularly in institutional coordination, timely assistance, and resilience to secondary risks.
This was also observed by Oleg Dulgaryan, head of the “Community Consolidation and Support Center” NGO in Alaverdi. His organization was among the first to mobilize volunteers. “When the disaster struck, our volunteers - along with many local residents - immediately rushed to the affected communities to provide first aid,” Dulgaryan told Ampop Media.
“The initial response was very quick. The same was true for state and local authorities. From senior officials to field specialists, everyone was on the ground trying to help and organize the process,” he recalled.
However, he said that one critical issue quickly became apparent: the lack of institutional preparedness.
“There was cooperation, but it was clear that the teams arriving at the scene were not operating in a coordinated way. The community leader, like everyone else, was standing in the mud in boots, trying to clean up. But there were no planned, structured actions. It was all very chaotic,” Dulgaryan said.
He believes the consequences of such natural disasters would be far less severe if proper civil protection plans were developed and regularly tested in advance.
“Before the May disaster, various organizations had monitored Alaverdi’s climate conditions, assessed the risks - including flood hazards - and issued recommendations,” he said.
According to him, communities are required to have civil protection plans and to conduct annual drills involving the population based on those plans.
“There should be clear instructions on how municipalities should respond and how the pre-established groups should operate. But for the system to work, at least one drill must be carried out each year. Since 2016, I haven’t heard of any such drills,” Dulgaryan added.
Another issue frequently raised by affected residents was the incomplete damage assessment process and the resulting unequal compensation. Many said the payments they received did not reflect their actual losses. For instance, irrigation systems, agricultural machinery, and other assets were not included in the initial assessments, and fixed payments for movable property did not come close to covering their real value.
Compensation amounts were revised only in cases where families publicly voiced their dissatisfaction or appeared in media reports.
A year and a half after the floods, it is also important to note that essential infrastructure has either been restored or is now in the final stages of reconstruction.
In Lori, the Debed riverbed has been cleared, the Dzoraget River widened, blocked tunnels reopened, and damaged bridges rebuilt. Access to isolated settlements was restored shortly after the disaster through newly constructed bridges.
Despite this progress, road reinforcement and full-scale construction in several sections remain unfinished, indicating that the infrastructure’s resilience has not yet been fully secured.
Gaps in Climate Policy
In Armenia, climate risks are worsening not only because of global climate change but also due to inadequate governance. The unregulated use of natural resources, the reduction of forest and agricultural lands, growing volumes of waste, and inefficient energy management all significantly undermine the country’s resilience.
“In recent years, the intensity of climate-related hazardous phenomena has increased significantly,” says Victoria Burnazyan, Vice-president of “EcoLur” Informational NGO.
“While one region is overwhelmed by floods, another is battling forest fires, as we saw this autumn, and in yet another, desertification is gaining ground. The climate is changing before our eyes, whether we are ready or not.”
She argues that Armenia needs a comprehensive and coordinated adaptation framework, which is largely absent today.
For years, the expert community has urged the government to develop dedicated adaptation plans for key sectors, agriculture, forestry, energy, healthcare, and territorial management, to enable realistic risk assessments and targeted policy solutions.
According to the July 2025 “Strengthening the Civil Society monitoring of CEPA implementation” report almost all sectoral policies, spanning forestry, agriculture, energy, and waste management, are still incomplete and insufficiently aligned.
Reforestation programs have not been implemented. The plan to increase forest cover by 50,000 hectares by 2030 has progressed by only 1.64% over the past three years, just 820 hectares planted, while since 1993 Armenia has already lost 126,200 hectares of forested land.
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December 24, 2025 at 13:51