Risk

Historical Hazards

High poverty rates have persisted in Armenia driving up vulnerability to natural hazards and climate risks. The most serious disasters in Armenia’s history have primarily been earthquakes, notably the 1988 Spitak quake, which killed over 25,000 people. Armenia has vulnerability to mudflow and landslides (GFDRR: Armenia, 2017). Around 4.1% of the country’s area is exposed to landslide risk, and almost one third of its communities. Large areas face drought risk, and some areas, particularly the Ararat and Shirak valleys, face flood risk. Around 40,000 people are affected by flooding each year costing around $100 million in national GDP. The risks of disasters resulting from these drivers are likely to increase as the severity and frequency of extreme climate events increases due to climate change.

This section provides a summary of key natural hazards and their associated socioeconomic impacts in a given country. And it allows quick evaluation of most vulnerable areas through the spatial comparison of natural hazard data with development data, thereby identifying exposed livelihoods and natural systems.

Natural Hazard Statistics

The charts provide overview of the most frequent natural disaster in a given country and understand the impacts of those disasters on human populations.

Metadata

Climate change is now recognized to have a significant impact on disaster management efforts and pose a significant threat to the efforts to meet the growing needs of the most vulnerable populations. The demands of disaster risk management are such that concise, clear, and reliable information is crucial. The information presented here offers insight into the frequency, impact and occurrence of natural hazards.