Media Archive on Air Quality in Armenia — 2026

Avinyan compared Yerevan to a "pot with a lid" (machine translation)

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan stated that air pollution in the capital worsens during the cold season due to an atmospheric inversion layer, comparing the city to a "pot with a lid." According to him, this natural and climatic phenomenon cannot be eliminated, but the situation can be mitigated by reducing vehicle emissions and traffic congestion. He also noted that the problem affects not only Yerevan but other settlements in the Ararat Valley as well. The article mentions that Avinyan had previously linked air quality to emissions from neighboring countries. Environmentalist Kristina Vardanyan, for her part, had also spoken about worsening air quality and emphasized the role of trees as a natural filter.

Comment from the AirQuality.am editorial team The mayor claims that the problem lies in the geographic location, but we believe that in doing so he is absolving himself of responsibility for failing to implement programs for cleaner heating, transport regulation, and construction oversight. Atmospheric phenomena only intensify the impact of pollution factors; they do not explain them.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

New standards and methodologies for assessing ambient air quality will take effect starting in 2027 (machine translation)

The Armenian government has introduced amendments to a number of decisions: starting on November 1, 2027, new standards and methodologies for assessing ambient air quality will take effect. As part of a comprehensive measures program for 2025–2030, the air quality monitoring system is set to be модернизация, including the purchase of 14 stationary stations, 6 of them for Yerevan. In 2025, the Ministry of Environment was allocated 300 million drams to purchase two air quality assessment stations. These two stations have been installed in Yerevan (Kentron administrative district and a park in Kanaker-Zeytun) and are undergoing testing and calibration. They are expected to enable more accurate measurement of key pollutants and provide real-time data.

Read the full article on hetq.am →

Mayor: Air quality in Yerevan has improved despite construction and cars (machine translation)

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan stated that the level of air pollution in the city is now lower than in November, despite the active season of construction, vehicle traffic, and other anthropogenic sources of pollution. According to him, the changes are linked to seasonal atmospheric conditions that affect the concentration of pollutants near the ground.

Avinyan explained that from November to March, air quality in Yerevan is largely determined by the height of the atmospheric layer: during this period, he said, it decreases from about 1,200 meters to 80–100 meters, causing pollution to concentrate closer to the ground. He noted that this phenomenon is characteristic not only of Yerevan, but of the entire Ararat Valley, including Vedi and Artashat, as well as adjacent territories of Turkey.

The mayor emphasized that the municipality publishes open data on air quality and forecasts for the coming days and week. According to him, as temperatures rise, the atmospheric layer increases to 2,000 meters, and the level of pollution observed in November is no longer recorded.

Comment from the AirQuality.am editorial team Claims on the level of "snow melts in spring, so there is no need to clear it away." We believe that in this way the mayor's office is absolving itself of responsibility for failing to implement programs to introduce more environmentally friendly heating and to control transport and construction. Atmospheric phenomena only amplify the impact of pollution factors; they do not explain them away.

Read the full article on news.am →

“Yerevan City Hall claims the air was cleaner in February 2026 than last year” on am.sputniknews.ru →

Making Air Visible: Community Response to the Pollution Problem in Armenia (machine translation)

The article describes winter air pollution in Yerevan, when smog and temperature inversions trap pollutants near the ground and residents regularly record “unhealthy” readings. AirQuality.am, created by Anton Vlasov, brings together fragmented air-quality data from municipal sensors, volunteer DIY networks, weather stations, and independent monitoring platforms, making it accessible and easy to understand. The platform publishes hourly updates, as well as open raw and processed datasets with documentation. The ArmAQI initiative and other volunteer networks expand sensor coverage across city districts. The project encourages residents to install their own sensors, share data, and engage with authorities on measures to reduce dust and waste burning and to expand green spaces.

Read the full article on airgradient.com →

Avinyan called for sharing air quality data so that “half-baked thoughts are voiced less often” (machine translation)

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan stated that the municipality should regularly share data on the city’s air quality with the public. According to him, the municipality collects the largest volume of such information, including through installed sensors, and this data makes it possible to observe seasonal changes, especially from November to March. Avinyan emphasized the importance of understanding what portion of air quality deterioration is linked to anthropogenic factors in order to shape policy based on the accumulated information. He noted that the issue of air pollution requires detailed study and that there are many unprofessional assessments surrounding it. Expert Kristina Vardanyan said that air quality in Yerevan is deteriorating and that tree cutting is depriving the city of its natural “filter” against pollution.

Comment from the AirQuality.am editorial team The municipality strongly dislikes the work of activists and websites like ours, yet no real discussion is taking place. We analyze the data, and it shows that the municipality is either deliberately avoiding politically inconvenient issues or is completely incompetent on the matter.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

Yerevan Has Nothing to Breathe: How “New-Wave Gardens” Can Become a Remedy for Smog and Stress (machine translation)

Air pollution in Yerevan has intensified, and one proposed solution is the development of “new-wave gardens”—nature-like green spaces made up of native, drought-tolerant plants. Ecologist and agronomist Zoya Dutova explains that such gardens can become the city’s “lungs,” support biodiversity, and provide more shade while requiring less irrigation and fewer chemicals. She notes that air quality is also tied to greening policy: the city is being built up, former sanitary standards have lost force, and WHO recommendations on green-space provision are not закреплены in law. Mass tree felling and the loss of forests on the slopes (Monument/Victory Park and Nork) have deprived the city of natural barriers, while simply planting trees is not always possible due to soil erosion. Private projects like Goght Urban Valley demonstrate an approach to greening that preserves existing plantings and selects species suited to local conditions. However, without systemic changes in urban planning, even widespread adoption of such gardens will not fully solve the smog problem.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

Trees Instead of Factories: Yerevan Residents предложили Their Own Ways to Clean the Air in the Capital (machine translation)

Nearly 1,900 Yerevan residents took part in a Telegram channel poll by “YerevanyCh” on how to mitigate air pollution in the capital. The poll was prompted by Mayor Tigran Avinyan’s statement that it is impossible to fully solve the problem due to factors beyond the city authorities’ control. Respondents most often cited mass tree planting and the creation of new parks, followed by strict control of construction dust. In the comments, residents link worsening winter air quality to widespread burning of trash, plastic, tires, and the use of stove heating. Proposed measures include fines and enforcement against waste burning, switching to gas/electric heating, expanding gasification, and greening to combat summer dust.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

Air pollution and traffic jams named the main problems of Yerevan in a GALLUP poll (machine translation)

About 30% of participants in a GALLUP poll named air pollution as Yerevan’s most important problem. This was reported by Aram Navasardyan, head of the Armenian office of the GALLUP International Association, as he presented the results of the telephone survey.

Among the key urban problems, 26.5% of respondents pointed to traffic jams, 22.6% to poor road conditions, 16.3% to garbage collection, and 15% to the public transport situation. Another 82% of those surveyed said that traffic jams in Yerevan increased in 2025; 4.5% believe the opposite, while 11.6% noticed no changes. The poll was conducted on January 19–23 and involved 601 respondents.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

“Air pollution, traffic jams and more: what did Yerevan residents complain about in the survey?” on am.sputniknews.ru →

“Yerevan residents named poor air quality the city’s main problem — Telegram channel “YerevanyCh” survey” on newsarmenia.am →

Ambient Air: There Are Problems (machine translation)

In 2025, 617 violations were recorded in the field of ambient air protection (up from 397 a year earlier), including 217 in Yerevan. The most frequent violations were related to construction (99 cases in Yerevan), the burning of waste/leaves/stubble, and transporting loose materials without protective covering; the total damage to air was estimated at about 160 million drams. The inspection body conducted control measurements of PM2.5 and PM10 in Yerevan: out of 225 measurements, in 5 cases the exceedance was more than fivefold, and in 25 cases up to fivefold. The agency head noted that “high pollution” data from some platforms may be inaccurate due to large instrument error, and that their checks do not show a critical problem—part of a state strategy of denying the issue. An ambient air protection strategy has been adopted, and Yerevan is creating a system of accurate measurements by installing two stationary stations with support from the Government of Japan. Factors affecting air quality in Yerevan include inversion meteorological conditions, a lack of green spaces, and construction dust; dust-suppression technologies are being introduced and requirements are being закреплены in standards.

Read the full article on ecolur.org →

Six Automatic Stations: Armenia Steps Up Control of Air Quality (machine translation)

Armenia has approved a comprehensive atmospheric air protection program for 2025–2030. It предусматривает modernization of air quality monitoring and the introduction of mandatory requirements for the use of dust-suppression equipment in construction and the mining industry. Two automatic monitoring stations have already been installed in Yerevan, and the first data are expected soon. Under a grant agreement with the Japanese government, three more stations are planned to be supplied, and one will be purchased from the state budget, bringing the total in the capital to six. This is intended to ensure comprehensive, citywide air-quality monitoring in line with international standards. Armhydromet of the Ministry of Environment is authorized to officially publish atmospheric air quality indicators and inform the public.

Read the full article on news.am →

Avinyan: It is impossible to completely solve Yerevan’s air pollution problem (machine translation)

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan said that it is impossible to fully solve the capital’s air pollution problem due to factors beyond the city authorities’ control. According to him, during the cold season, concentrations of dust and pollutants rise sharply because the inversion layer (“atmospheric ceiling”) lowers. Air quality is also significantly affected by emissions coming from neighboring countries, and the mayor estimates that external emissions exceed internal ones. Avinyan noted that restrictive measures can only partially mitigate the deterioration of air quality. Expert Kristina Vardanyan believes that air quality in Yerevan continues to worsen, with children, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses being the most vulnerable; meanwhile, the protective role of trees is reduced by the cutting of green spaces.

Read the full article on newsarmenia.am →

“Avinyan: Yerevan’s air quality problem has existed for decades; no one talked about it” on news.am →