Seven years after joining the EBRD’s Green Cities programme, is Yerevan’s green future going up in flames?

In August 2016, Yerevan became the first city to join the EBRD Green Cities programme, signalling its commitment to environmental sustainability. To address pressing issues related to air quality, green spaces, energy, transport and waste management, the city finalised its Green City Action Plan (GCAP) in October 2017. In recent years, EcoLur, Bankwatch’s Yerevan-based partner organisation, has been monitoring progress and the persisting issues that have yet to be addressed.  

The first of the Green Cities, but not the greenest 

On 3 March 2023, EcoLur hosted a roundtable titled – The Right of Citizens to Live in a Clean and Healthy Environment – to present the findings of their report on the implementation of Yerevan’s Green City Action Plan. The event brought together representatives from Yerevan Municipality, the Armenian Environment Ministry, civil society organisations and experts, who discussed the progress and gaps remaining in the implementation of Yerevan’s Green City Action Plan. 

During her opening speech, Inga Zarafyan, President of EcoLur, highlighted the positive steps taken in Yerevan’s Green City Action Plan, particularly with regards to energy efficiency. However, she acknowledged that obstacles had accumulated over the years, hindering the implementation of other crucial components such as air quality, green zones and waste management. 

‘When we analyse the shortcomings, we should understand what we can do to make Yerevan a truly green city and to ensure favourable living conditions for future generations,’ she said. 

Under the Green Cities programme, the EBRD has allocated funding to Yerevan for three projects: 

• In 2017, the EBRD provided a USD 80 million loan for the ENA – Modernisation of Distribution Network project. The total cost of the project is USD 200 million. 
• In 2021, the EBRD provided a USD 60 million loan to fund the second phase of the project, the ENA Investment Program. The total value of the project is USD 148 400 000, including up to USD 20 000 000 in syndicated funds. 
• In 2021, the EBRD allocated EUR 20 million to Yerevan Municipality for the Yerevan Bus Project. The total cost of the project is EUR 25 million. 

Prior to the GCAP, in 2015 the EBRD invested EUR 8 million in the Yerevan Solid Waste project, which was also provided with a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and a grant from the EU’s Neighbourhood Investment Fund. However, the EUR 27.4 million project is currently being revised and has not yet been implemented. Lastly, the EBRD, together with the EIB and the EU, invested more than EUR 55 million in three phases of the Yerevan Metro Rehabilitation project in 2010, 2012 and 2015.  

Falling short on air quality, green zones and waste management goals 

According to EcoLur’s findings, air pollution in Yerevan has increased due to excess levels of dust and nitrogen dioxide. ‘Yerevan has failed to reach the mid-term targets for air pollution reduction outlined in Yerevan’s Green City Action Plan,’ said Victoria Burnazyan, EcoLur’s Vice-President and author of the report.  

When it comes to waste, the situation in Yerevan is not much better. Despite the EBRD, the EIB and the EU committing a combined EUR 27 million for the modernisation of the Nubarashen landfill in 2015, the Armenian capital still lacks a sanitary landfill that meets EU standards. In addition, no waste processing plant has been constructed. As demonstrated by the recent fire, the current landfill poses a threat to the safety, health and environment of Yerevan’s residents. 

Referring to the issue of greening, Burnazyan added: ‘Yerevan has lost a significant amount of its green areas. Today, we don’t have enough open space for large-scale planting.

As forest lands are being cleared for construction, the restoration of forests in the capital is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible.’

The World Health Organization recommends that cities provide each person with a minimum of 9 square metres of urban green space. Unfortunately, Yerevan Municipality has failed to reach the target set in the Green City Action Plan, which aimed to allocate more than 8.5 square meters of green space per person by 2022. The city centre has only 3 square metres of green zone available per resident. 

Regarding transportation, Burnazyan noted that Yerevan is importing a new line of large modern buses, which will increase the city’s transport fleet by around 45 per cent. However, there is still no unified electronic ticket system in place. Compounding matters, much of the public transport system in Yerevan remains inaccessible to people with disabilities, as well as older persons and parents with strollers, despite repeated investments by the EBRD and the EIB in Yerevan’s metro system. 

During the discussion, Nune Sakanyan, President of Women in Climate and Energy, emphasised the need to incorporate a gender perspective when thinking about modernising public transportation. In this instance, it is not just about providing employment opportunities for women in the transport sector. As we have seen in Tbilisi, there is also an urgent need to assess and minimise the safety risks for vulnerable groups who use public transport, including women, minorities and people with disabilities. 

Yerevan’s residents must be involved in shaping the city’s future 

From Bankwatch’s experience, urban development plans and strategies are usually well-designed, but problems arise during the implementation phase. For this reason, we strongly recommend that the EBRD and other funding institutions, together with their local partners, provide more opportunities for civil society to participate in the planning and monitoring of projects, particularly during the implementation stage. To that end, residents need clear, reliable, transparent and accessible information on urban development. 

‘Experience has taught us that programmes are better planned and implemented when there’s a higher level of transparency and public participation,’

said Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Strategic Area Leader at CEE Bankwatch Network. ‘The EBRD insists that Green City Action Plans should be owned by the local authorities. But that’s not enough. Residents must also take ownership. To green our cities successfully, the public deserves to be informed and actively take part in every stage. Only through these contributions can we improve our homes, workplaces, schools, streets and public transportation systems.’ 

In response to our collective call for better transparency and participation, Yerevan Municipality has committed to establishing a Green Development platform by the end of 2024, which will provide complete and comprehensive information on environmental issues. Hopefully, the platform will enable citizens and stakeholders to actively engage in Yerevan’s decision-making processes and contribute to the development of effective environmental policies and programmes in the future.