Reducing Air Pollution: A Challenge to Human Health and Well-being

The Audit Chamber of the Republic of Armenia has approved the report of the performance audit on “Reducing Air Pollution.” According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution is responsible for 6.7 million premature deaths annually worldwide.[1] It is ranked as the second leading risk factor for death, following high blood pressure. The global economic burden associated with air pollution is estimated at $8.1 trillion per year, or 6.1% of global GDP.

According to WHO data, Armenia ranks 144th out of 183 countries in air pollution–related mortality, with 70 deaths per 100,000 population. This rate is 19% higher than the global average and 2.6 times higher than the European average. In Armenia, the economic cost of air pollution–related health damage is estimated at $1.45 billion annually, equivalent to 10.6% of the national GDP.

The audit identified several systemic issues affecting the effectiveness of air quality management in Armenia:

• National air quality standards are not sufficient to protect public health;
• There is a lack of timely, high-quality, and comprehensive data needed for effective air quality management;
• No clear targets or systemic measures have been defined to reduce premature deaths or sectoral emissions resulting from air pollution.

Based on the results of audit, the Audit Chamber has recommended seven proposals aimed at improving public governance in the field of ambient air protection in line with international standards. The overall objective is to contribute to a long-term reduction in premature deaths caused by air pollution.

The details of the audit are available at the following link: