The Armenian government has approved a grant agreement with Japan for $1.7 million aimed at modernizing the air quality monitoring system. The document was approved at a cabinet meeting and is being implemented as part of the "Economic and Social Development" program. The agreement was signed in Yerevan in late September by Minister of Environment Hambartsum Matevosyan and Japanese Ambassador Aoki Yutaka.
The project justification notes that the country's existing air pollution control system is outdated and does not meet modern standards in terms of technology or the list of measured parameters. This limits the possibility of objectively assessing the environmental situation and responding promptly to exceeding permissible norms.
Under the Japanese grant, Armenia will receive automatic monitoring stations capable of tracking key pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ground-level ozone, and particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5. The equipment will be installed in three administrative districts of Yerevan, and air quality data will be available in real time not only to relevant departments, but also to the general public.
