We've wrapped up the year on airquality.am. The average Air Quality Index (AQI) rose from 74.7 to 88.3. But behind this number is not just smog, but also a huge breakthrough in monitoring.
Since January 2024, the network has grown sixfold: from 23 to 140 stations. Previously, sensors were mainly installed by "relocants"—in the center or in neighborhoods they inhabited. In 2025, the Yerevan municipality expanded the network to industrial outskirts and areas that were previously "blind spots" on the map.
We finally saw the real air of Shengavit, Erebuni, and active construction zones. The average index increased because we stopped averaging data only from "clean" neighborhoods.
⚠️ Final Observation Results
The annual average PM2.5 value exceeds WHO recommended values by 5.6 times: 28 µg/m³ against a norm of 5 µg/m³. For 214 days of the year, the air was officially "outside the law": daily WHO standards were exceeded (15 µg/m³), while no more than 3-4 days per year are acceptable.
🔥 Environmental Hits of the Year
Even accounting for the new geography, 2025 was abnormally difficult:
- Nubarashen on Fire: In August and October, two major landfill fires blanketed the city with chemical smoke.
- "Black November": A combination of drought and forest fires around Yerevan. In November, we recorded an AQI of 154 (1.5 times higher than last year). The city turned into a smoke trap.
- Winter Finale: December closed the year at 157, just like last year.
📡 Network Status
- Yerevan Municipality: Leader in growth (180 sensors at 94 construction sites). Now developers are visible in real-time.
- Civic Network (ArmAQI/ClimateNet): Unfortunately stagnating. Old sensors are failing, and we critically need new monitoring points in residential areas.
- Future: A new player has emerged among available monitoring stations—AirGradient. Soon we'll tell you more about it and hope to interest the community in their solution.
We now know 6 times more about Yerevan's air. Yes, the data became more alarming, but this is the first step toward demanding systemic changes.
🎄 Happy New Year 2026! May the next year bring us more days in the "green zone"—not just on charts, but outside our windows. May the views of Ararat be clear and the sky above our city transparent. Thank you for being with us. Together we're making Yerevan better.
Leave your suggestions for the project's development in the comments—even just kind words are more important than you think. Thank you!