
Armenia’s Air Quality Poor, Says World Bank Group Report
Armenia ranks among the lowest in Europe in terms of air quality according to the World Bank Group’s Armenia Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) released on January 9.
“Its economy is highly energy-intensive and reliant on fossil fuels, contributing to acute environmental problems, including air pollution,” the report reads.
These problems, if not rectified, will both impact the health of citizens, but also the country’s economy.
The annual costs of the damage of pollution to the health of Armenia’s citizens are estimated to be as high as 10.6% of GDP.
The CCDR finds that the cost of inaction is high. The impact of climate change on the water and agriculture sectors alone could shrink Armenia’s economy by up to 3% by 2060 and increase poverty by as much as 2.7 percentage points by 2030. Investments to reduce the impacts of climate damage would, in contrast, expand the economy by 0.5-1% per year.
The report concludes that Armenia is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, particularly floods, droughts, heat stress, hail, and landslides.
Targeted investments of about $8 billion up to 2060, complemented by policy reforms, can help Armenia enhance energy security through clean, domestic energy; boost agriculture productivity, improve food security, and strengthen resilience against climate change.
The report estimates that with the right set of policy reforms approximately 75% of the targeted investment could be financed by the private sector.
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