What we do

Persistent Organic Pollutants – POPs, are the chemicals that don’t break down easily in natural conditions and can remain in the environment for a very long time. Several POPs pesticides, DDT and Lindane in particular, were widely used in insects’ eradication campaigns in the agriculture and healthcare sectors, in housekeeping, etc. Many of POPs compounds evaporate in hot climates, travel through the atmosphere and settle in colder environments. They are also lipophylic meaning that they are soluble in fat tissues. This means that they tend to accumulate in the body fat of humans and animals as move up through the food chain, POPs also become more concentrated increasing quantities eventually leading to long-term physiological effects such as infertility, cancer and hormonal disruption, etc. Some of these effects can also be passed from one generation to another. However, as the world became more aware of the dangers of POPs chemicals, these pesticides were banned in the late 1970s

The Government of Armenia has signed and ratified the Stockholm Convention (an environmental treaty aimed at elimination or restriction of the production and use of POPs) in 2005 committing to eliminate and clean up the legacy of obsolete and POPs pesticides/chemicals stockpiles in the country by 2025.

There are inherited stockpiles of POPs containing obsolete pesticides accumulated in Armenia from Soviet times, the biggest concentration is in Nubarashen burial site (landfill), others are spread around the country in former agrochemicals storehouses. All together are estimated to constitute up to 1,250 tons of POPs/OPs chemical waste. In addition, more than 4,000 tons of contaminated soil in the surrounding of Nubarashen burial site needs to be decontaminated/treated to eliminate the exposure of environmental and health risks.

The Government of Armenia, through financial and technical support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP, initiated activities aimed at addressing the problem of POPs containing obsolete pesticides and, primarily focusing on the cleaning and disposal of Nubarashen burial site waste.

At present “Elimination of obsolete pesticide stockpiles and addressing POPs contaminated sites within a Sound Chemicals Management Framework in Armenia” UNDP-GEF supported project is underway.

In close partnership with the Government of Armenia, UNDP’s efforts are aimed at:

• Protecting health and the environment by eliminating obsolete pesticide stockpiles

• Addressing contaminated sites through a sound chemical management framework
• Enhancing country’s capacity in the sound management of hazardous chemicals, particularly obsolete pesticides.

This would be achieved through three main components of the Project:

o   Capture and containment of obsolete pesticide stockpiles and wastes;

o   Elimination of POPs obsolete pesticide waste;

o   Institutional and regulatory capacity strengthening for sound chemicals management and contaminated sites.

Expected results

More than 1 million population in Yerevan and adjacent communities will be protected from hazardous environmental risk, through:

·    Removal of priority POPs pesticide waste from Nubarashen burial site, secure containment of residual contamination on-site, site stabilization and restoration, with the site secured under appropriate institutional arrangements providing effective access limitations, monitoring and future land use control, all endorsed by an informed public

·    Development of the national hazardous chemical waste management site equipped with secure storage and basic infrastructure

·    Development of institutional and regulatory capacity for sound chemicals management.