Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan addressed public concerns regarding the city's recent spike in air pollution, stating on his Facebook page that the phenomenon is predominantly seasonal and mainly driven by geographic factors.
According to him, these are natural processes that occur cyclically every year with varying intensity.
“Dear residents of Yerevan, over the past few days, there have been growing concerns about elevated air pollution levels in the capital.
It’s important to clarify that the pollution is not limited to Yerevan alone but also affects the adjacent Ararat Valley, including the provinces of Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn, and surrounding areas.
In this region, air pollution follows a distinctly seasonal pattern, shaped mainly by geographic factors, such as air mass circulation, persistent dry anticyclonic weather, the influx of dry and dusty air masses from the southeast, and the region’s topography.
These natural processes are cyclical and repeat annually with differing intensities. Due to these factors, an inversion regime is formed, which significantly reduces air ventilation, leading to the accumulation of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Additionally, seasonal heating, wildfires, and open burning contribute to the presence of various gases, organic dust, and smoke in the air, further aggravating the situation amid the lack of ventilation.
A reduction in air pollution across the region is expected with the arrival of cyclonic air masses from the north, which will disrupt the current inversion layer.
We will also inform the public about the steps the Yerevan Municipality is taking to mitigate the problem,” the post concludes.
