“30 percent of the population of Armenia is subject to “epidemic” disasters the probability of which exceeds 5.1 percent.

The hazard they cause is estimated to the extent of 1.5 of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Armenia. Disasters exceeding 20 percent probability will absorb more than one fourth of the Gross Domestic Product of Armenia”.

From the 2009 report of the World Bank

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, representatives of ministries-departments, local and international organizations participated in the Report-Conference on “Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management in Armenia” as held by the World Bank on December 14 in the Armenia Marriott Hotel. 

The Report was based on the investigation as implemented in Armenia in the framework of the Global Facility Project for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

“This Project started one and half year ago which aimed at natural disaster risk assessment, institutional system review, disaster, risk management challenge definition in Armenia and proposal of actions and measures to be undertaken to solve them. Several years ago as a result of the investigation made by the World Bank in Europe and Central Asia Armenia turned out to be one of the most disastrous countries in the sense of human and economic losses.
It is a pity but once more it states that one should pay attention first of all to preventive means. It is famous that prevention is much cheaper than response”, - mentioned Naira Melkumyan, Projects Senior Executive, World Bank Yerevan Office.

According to the Report there are serious risks of earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides and hails.  The primary danger is an earthquake in our country: approximately 2.6 million people live in seismic active areas. According to the investigations in case of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake most buildings in Yerevan where 40 percent of the population of Armenia is centralized may be destroyed and the number of victims will reach 300 000.

Serious problems are also landslides and mudslides. The total mudslide area in Armenia is 122 thousand hectare, 4.1 percent of the country’s total area, which means that 35 percent of the dwelling places are in a landslide hazardous place. And mudslide hazardous is more than half of Armenia.

One of the greatest disasters in agriculture in Armenia is the damage done by hail, the annual damage of which is estimated 30-40 billion dollars. Round 368 villages are in hail hazardous areas.

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
- Disasters are expressed in Armenia almost in all their forms and kinds. Taking into account this circumstance we must first of all be able to give right estimation to the priority of the problems we face now. Our financial capacities disable making voluminous investments in this sector therefore analysis is very significant on this stage so that by means of “expenses-incomes method” estimation we could reveal the sectors where the investments have proved their value.

RA Minister of Emergency Situations Mher Sgahgeldyan
- Today’s event is significant from several points of view. First, the relevant structure of the World Bank paid its attention to Armenia, and this is not only the bank’s attention, this will also lead to the donors’ attention, who can assist Armenia economically and technically in emergency prevention, prevision, response, rescuing, consequence elimination, especially risk management: risk calculation, examination, management mechanism formation.  Today we presented the existing fundamentals and we presented them in order and strategy: long term, middle term and short term. Our goal is to have a system which will enable our small country to mange and run the sector more efficiently, operatively and with strategic approaches. Moreover the sector is rather expensive especially for not so large countries and we work continuously with international structures aimed at receiving financial and technical assistance. This is very significant and we are sure that we can contribute the assistance we get and the mechanisms we develop to the countries suffering from disasters.

RA Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsyan.
- Rather huge progress has been achieved after the disastrous earthquake both in building construction and technical equipping, but we have been unable to reach its continuance. Moreover we have been unable to invest the best technology. Unless we have a clear picture, i.e. what we wish to achieve, our actions will be constantly incomplete. And this sector may bring new possibilities in the sense of economic development: in the direction of disasters science may develop, new technologies may be created, which may, why not, be exported.  I hope we can come to general conclusion as a result of our discussions today.

RA Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache Terteryan
- Disasters must be managed. The earthquake in Spitak testifies this: we have been living with this so far.  I am sure this meeting which is the continuation of the investigation we have done with the World Bank and other ministries will have its development.  Our ministry is ready to cooperate in the framework of this subject.  Within the limits of our resources we shall be useful particularly in the sense of mobilization and involvement of local authorities, territorial authorities and civil community local units.

Global Facility Director for Disaster Reduction and Recovery Saroj Kumar Jha
- I think the greatest challenge for Armenia is to care for the firmness of the buildings, not only the newly built but also the old ones. One must be sure that they correspond to the international safety and firmness standards. If we classify this sector in accordance with its significance I would advise to give priority to the schools. If the Armenian children are safe the future of Armenia is safe.

World Bank Yerevan Office Director Aristomene Varudakis
- Armenia has facilities and willingness to be ready and resist disasters. Another question is the fact that it has no financial means to implement it especially after this economic crisis. One should develop a plan and define problems in accordance with their significance and priority, then try to concentrate donor organizations and countries’ attention to them.

World Bank and Central Asia Regional Disaster Risk Management Executive Ellison Wins
- In the sense of disasters Armenia has more challenges than many other countries. They include being in extremely active seismic zone, abundance of landslides and floods, air temperature rapid fluctuations, from strictly cold to strictly hot weather. Since 1988 many steps have been undertaken towards formation of institutional systems and facilities here. It is impressive to see how unbendingly the Government of Armenia realizes the problem and the direction it must take to solve the problems. I see Armenia learns from other countries and many countries can learn from Armenia.  In risk management I also greatly signify public awareness on disasters. People often underestimate risks, because nobody wants to think about disasters. However awareness of people, the fact that they can take steps before disaster to reduce risks, may give sense of protection and super power towards nature and disaster.

World Bank Yerevan Office Projects Senior Executive Naira Melkumyan
- One of the most effective means for risk management is also public awareness. In this sense in our country a significant role plays the “Emergency Channel” Information Center, which spreads the information on disasters and risks through TV programs, films, publications and other means.

The cognitive-documentary film “Armenia living with disasters” was also shown during the Conference which had been made by the “Emergency Channel” Information Center on the order of the World Bank. Earthquake, landslide, flood - the hazard and possible consequences of these disasters for the economy and population of the country became more obvious after watching this film.