Armenia Environment - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Environment - current issues

soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; deforestation; pollution of Hrazdan and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Air pollutants

particulate matter emissions: 30.48 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 5.16 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 2.91 megatons (2020 est.)

Climate

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Land use

agricultural land: 59.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 15.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 42% (2018 est.)

forest: 9.1% (2018 est.)

other: 31.2% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 63.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues: 0.28% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 492,800 tons (2014 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s): Lake Sevan - 1,360 sq km

Total water withdrawal

municipal: 616.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 122.4 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 2.127 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources

7.77 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

NOTE: The information regarding Armenia on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Armenia 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Armenia 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.