The level of seismic safety in Armenia will be improved

17 / 07 / 2010

The seismic safety system development concept has been discussed and approved at a National Security Council sitting. NSC Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan spoke about this with the journalists at a press conference today.

The Caucasus region and Armenia as well are located in a seismically active zone. In the 20th century only the country survived four major earthquakes with a magnitude of 8-10 points. Spitak’s devastating earthquake in 1988 took the lives of some 25 000 people and left 15 000 disabled and 500 000 homeless people, the damage to the country amounted to 12 billion US dollars. In view of all these facts an interagency working group had been established which is chaired by Artur Baghdasaryan and attended by the representatives of all interested bodies.
“The adoption of this document is of great importance for it will help us to take further measures to raise the seismic safety level and improve seismic security of our country. It is planned to develop special mid-term and long-term targeted state programs which are aimed at modernizing the seismic infrastructures of our country and improving the level of seismic security of our country. Armenia has 150 surveillance points across the country which need to be modernized and re-equipped. There are around 3500 multistory buildings in the capital only built in Soviet times, which need to be thoroughly analyzed to determine their seismic stability and take complex measures to improve the level of the seismic resistance of these buildings. Certain activities are currently being implemented but they will soon be under state surveillance. We can register progress in this sphere after the government develops a clear timetable of actions following the approval of the concept. The objective of the concept is to introduce an earthquake prevention system in line with international standards to be able to register all available preventive mechanisms rather than thinking over our steps only after the disaster. This means that after the approval of the concept cooperation among public, local self-government bodies and businesses will significantly improve, and we will have, as a result, an accurate effective and timely- functioning prevention system.” Artur Baghdasaryan said.
The implementation of the concept assumes legislative, institutional and structural reforms in this sphere. According to Artur Baghdasaryan this most important state document will help enhance the level of seismic safety in Armenia in the upcoming years.