COP 17 in Yerevan: a tough choice for a country at odds with its environmental realities

The world largest bilateral forum of conservation of biological diversity will take place in Armenia in October 2026. Perceived as a great opportunity for the nation to put itself forward as a platform for global dialogue, it will be a gathering of thousands of delegates, world leaders, and media. There is irony, though: Can Armenia live up to the expectations when its own environmental track record raises serious concerns? According to estimates made by The Revelator, a project, only 13 percent of Armenia-a country with a rich flora and fauna-is protected lands at the very minimum by international standards.

Smog over Yerevan

One of the more visible challenges to the participants of the conference-along much to the chagrin of residents of the Armenian capital-air pollution. There has been a regular burning of toxic smoke from the city’s largest garbage dumping ground in Nubarashen. World Bank and EBRD-supported waste disposal programs have, however, suffered suspended implementation for years, as have efforts to tighten producer responsibility.

According to IQAir, the PM2.5 pollution levels in Yerevan, in 2024, were five times higher than the permissible limits set by the WHO. The newspaper Voice of Armenia observes: ‘We have the dirtiest air in the region… To reduce the harmful effects of construction dust, sanitary rules must be observed… But they are practically ignored. Not to mention the disastrous state of urban greenery.’

According to the Armenian environmental NGO EcoLur, the main deficits in the Yerevan development plan are a lack of solutions to pollution control. At the same time, surveys show that the majority of Yerevan’s citizens report worsening air quality over the recent years. Experts from Yerevan Medical University have warned that the capital city might end up with a catastrophic air quality situation.

By comparison, Egypt, who played host to COP 27, modernized its air monitoring systems on the occasion. In preparation for COP 15 in Kumming, polluting factories in China were closed and relocated. The Mayor of Yerevan, on the other hand, prefers to deny the problem and dub the discussion on air quality as ‘legends’.

Sevan ‘blooming’

Lakes of Sevan-the largest lake in the country-provides strategic drinking water reserves and is a source for irrigation and hydropower, is under dire stress. Annually, since 2018, it has undergone cyanobacteria Algae blooms, producing unbearable smells and greatly impairing water quality. Sewage discharge and vigilantly. With 27 official landfills and 27 unapproved ones all over the settlements surrounding the lake, enormous quantities of waste have been accumulating for decades, with over 1.3 million cubic meters already piled up in four towns on the lake shore.

Back in 2020, the Minister of Environment had spoken about the ‘merciless exploitation of fish stocks’, which brought about the destruction of the Sevan trout, while a 2024 report of the World Bank highlighted how the nonexistence of integrated waste management by the Armenian authorities puts the sustainability of Lake Sevan at stake.

Gold vs. ecology?

The Amulsar gold mining project-the second-largest deposit in the country-has become a symbol for the contradiction between the economy and ecology. Operated by the American company Lydian Armenia, the project has garnered fierce opposition from conservationists and local populations, whom are doing whatever they can to prevent the horrendous facility turning the groundwater of the resort town of Jermuk into poison and the irreversible destruction of Lake Sevan.

The opposition and Armenian Police clashed across a series of confrontations in 2020, with many activists detained. In 2023, the Council of Europe called for a re-evaluation of the environmental review of the project, stating that “the current plans pose threats to biodiversity and public health.” In spite of this, however, the government has not abandoned plans for the development of the gold mine, which could see operations commencing as early as late this year.

Water resources and energy

Water shortages in the Ararat Valley have been exacerbated by the fishing industry itself. More than 10 years ago, the World Bank warned that “excessive use of water resources increases the country’s climate vulnerability and threatens food security.” Since then, the problem has only worsened from the effects of the small hydroelectric power plants since most rivers in Armenia have been practically dried up through their uncontrolled construction of mini-HPPs. Meanwhile, UNEP notes that “Armenia’s mountain ecosystems are among the most vulnerable in Eurasia.”

A question of trust

So, in a year’s time, the world’s leading environmentalists risk finding themselves in a country where rubbish is burning, the air is hazardous to health, the largest lake is covered with green scum, and a gold mine is destroying biodiversity. This raises an unavoidable question: can Armenia really serve as a credible platform for an honest discussion on world ecology?

Other host countries have used their respective COPs as an opportunity to present achievements. Egypt accentuated climate adaptation, Canada promoted forest restoration, and the UAE pushed marine ecosystems. That symbolism surrounding COP 17 in Yerevan will certainly be open to different interpretations: a forum meant for nature conservation is being held in a place where nature itself needs saving.

News