Yerevan needs large-scale reforestation to combat worsening air pollution, mayor says

Air quality in Yerevan deteriorates sharply from mid-November and only begins to improve around mid-March, driven largely by the Armenian capital’s geographic layout and seasonal weather patterns, Mayor Tigran Avinyan said at a city hall meeting on Monday.

Avinyan stated the most effective long-term measures lie outside the city’s boundaries, noting that hundreds of hectares of new evergreen forested zones may be required to protect against incoming winds that carry pollution.

“These solutions are complex and many must be implemented even beyond Yerevan’s borders,” he said. “It’s about creating hundreds of hectares of new evergreen forest belts that can serve as a buffer.”

As for short-term steps, Avinyan said intensified administrative measures carried out over a 10–15 day period could yield up to a 20% improvement, though such interventions fall short of addressing the underlying problems.