Environmental crisis in the South Caucasus: Armenia's mining pollution endangers regional water resources and health

Armenia's unchecked mining pollution poses a severe environmental crisis, imperilling water resources and health across the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Heavy metal contamination in shared rivers threatens ecosystems and human well-being, demanding urgent international action.

The rapid expansion of Armenia's mining and metallurgical industries has triggered a severe environmental crisis, with significant transboundary implications for water resources and public health across the South Caucasus and beyond. The unchecked release of heavy metals into shared river systems, particularly from operations in the Debed and Araz river basins, poses serious threats to aquatic biodiversity and human well-being, demanding urgent international attention and decisive policy action.


The Debed River: A Transboundary Pollution Pathway
A critical concern is the Debed River, which originates in Armenia and flows through Georgia before joining the Kura River, a major waterway that traverses Azerbaijan and ultimately empties into the Caspian Sea. Studies, including those conducted by Armenian scientists in 2013 and 2014, revealed that water samples from high-risk sites within the Debed river basin were heavily influenced by nearby mining operations, notably the Akhtala and Alaverdi mines. Recent visual evidence published by 'epress.am' has further highlighted the alarming accumulation of toxic wastewater basins around the Pambak (Debed) river, demonstrating clear non-compliance with environmental norms and a severe lack of recultivation measures.

The findings consistently show a significant presence of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, copper, zinc, chromium, molybdenum, aluminium, manganese, and vanadium in these water bodies. These contamination levels are high enough to endanger aquatic organisms and human health, particularly in areas where river water is used for drinking or domestic purposes. A key ecological observation has been the reduction in species diversity of phytoplankton, a vital component of aquatic ecosystems, directly linked to heavy metal exposure.


Broader Regional Contamination: The Araz River and the Caspian Sea Impact
The environmental damage extends beyond the Debed. The Araz River, another crucial transboundary waterway, is also heavily polluted by mining activities in Armenian regions such as Qajaran, Qafan, Agarak, and Dastaghird. Reports indicate high concentrations of copper, phenols, and molybdenum, with 59 heavy metals identified in the Araz. This pollution has been directly linked to increased cancer and cardiovascular disease rates in downstream communities in Azerbaijan and Iran (specifically Ardabil province), and has caused agricultural products to fail in meeting European standards due to contamination. Mass mortalities of Caspian seals have also been associated with high zinc and copper concentrations, pointing to the far-reaching impact of mining pollution in the central Kura River basin. Flooding events, such as the one in May 2024 on the Debed or the 2010 flood on the Araz, exacerbate the problem by dispersing pollutants across wider agricultural lands.


Calls for Independent Monitoring and International Action
The severity of the situation has prompted widespread calls for international intervention and independent monitoring. The "Environmental Protection First (EPF)" coalition, along with NGOs from 13 countries and Armenian civil society groups like the "Community Resistance and Contribution Centre," have deemed the pollution "unacceptable." They advocate for renewed attention to EPF's interactive map, which graphically illustrates the environmental damage. They demand that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) documents be shared with all affected parties. They also insist on allowing independent monitoring of pollution levels by international experts, including Azerbaijani ecologists, to assess impacts on Azerbaijan, Iran, Georgia, and the Caspian Sea region.

Appeals have been specifically sent to the UN’s Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment (the Espoo Convention) and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The Espoo Convention mandates nations to assess and consult with neighbours about projects with potential transboundary environmental impacts. Armenia's continued operation of mines near shared water sources without consultation, transparency, or accountability is a clear violation of this treaty. While EITI primarily focuses on financial transparency in extractive industries, civil society organisations are urging it to strengthen criteria for environmental norms, pushing for greater accountability.


Regulatory Deficiencies and Lack of Regulation
The crisis is exacerbated by significant weaknesses in Armenia's environmental regulatory framework and a pervasive lack of effective recultivation measures. Armenia's environmental liability laws differ significantly from international best practices, such as the EU Environmental Liability Directive (ELD). Armenian law often relies on indirect compensation based on formulae rather than scientific assessment of actual damage, weakening the "polluter-pays" principle and potentially shifting the financial burden of environmental restoration onto the state. There's also a lack of mandatory financial security for environmental liabilities, leaving abandoned mines and tailings dams as ongoing threats.

Despite claims of approval for recultivation projects, such as at the Nahatak tailings dam near Akhtala (approved in 2021 with an expected two-year completion), progress has been minimal and incomplete, with new tailings still being deposited. This highlights a broader systemic issue of "legacy issues" from improperly closed and abandoned mines, where obligations for restoration often fall to the state due to legislative gaps and a lack of standards for managing post-exploitation sites.

Compounding these issues, Armenian eco-activists have reportedly faced criminalisation and false accusations aimed at discrediting their efforts when exposing environmentally harmful mining projects. This hostile environment hinders civic engagement and independent environmental oversight, contributing to the "lack of adequate reaction" from the Armenian side to international calls for action.

The long-term viability of these critical ecosystems and the health of the communities that depend on them across the South Caucasus are at considerable risk. Without decisive intervention, stronger environmental regulation, improved waste management, and sustained independent monitoring, the environmental degradation caused by Armenia's mining industry will continue to endanger the entire region.

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