DISASTER MANAGEMENTACTIVITIES AND ROLE OF THE
NATIONAL SURVEY FOR SEISMICPROTECTION UNDER THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC
OF ARMENIA
Ms. Hripsime Vardanyan
Assistant of the Presidentof National Survey for Seismic Protection
Under the Government of the Republic of Armenia

1z

GENERAL IDEA ABOUTARMENIA
LOCATED IN
LAND AREAz

SOUTHERWESTER ASIA,TOTAL 29.800 SQ KM
EAST OF TURKEY
LAND 28.400 SQ KM
z SURROUNDED BY
WATER 1.400 SQ KMNORTH - GEORGIAz ELEVATION EXTREMESEAST – AZERBAIJANLOWEST POINT
SOUTH – IRAN- DEBED RIVER 400M
WEST – TURKEYHIGHEST POINTz CLIMATE- ARAGATS LERR 4.095 M
HIGHLANDz POPULATIONCONTINENTAL
3,344,386
HOT SUMMERz FORMER NAMECOLD WINTERS
ARMENIAN SOVIETSOCIALIST REPUBLIC2GENERAL IDEA ABOUTARMENIA 2z RELIGIONSARMENIAN
APOSTOLIC 96%
z LANGUAGESARMENIAN 96%
RUSSIAN 2%
OTHER 2%z EXTENDED FAMILYSYSTEMz LITERACY RATEDEFINITION: AGE 15
AND OVER CAN READ
AND WRITEz

ARMENIAN CIRCLEDANCES AND
TRADITIONAL FOLKMUSIC ARE WORLDFAMOUSz ARMENIA IS

SITUATED IN THE
ZONE OF HIGHSEISMIC HAZARD OF
ALPINE-HIMALAYANAND BALKANCARPATHIAN SEISMICBELTS3z GOVERNMENT TYPEz INDEPENDENCEREPUBLICz CAPITAL YEREVANz ADMINISTRATIVEDIVISIONS
10 PROVINCES AND 1CITYz LEGAL SYSTEMBASED ON CIVIL LAWSYSTEM

28 MAY 1918
(FIRSTARMENIAN
REPUBLIC)
23 SEPTEMBER 1991
(FROMSOVIETUNION)z NATIONAL HOLIDAYREFERENDUM DAY, 21
SEPTEMBERz CONSTITUTIONADOPTED BY NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM 5JULY 1995BASIC LAWS OF ARMENIA¾ LAW ON REFERENDUM OF THEREPUBLIC OF ARMENIA¾ LAW ON PUBLIC

ORGANIZATIONS¾LAW PUBLIC-POLITICALORGANIZATIONS¾ BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONALASSEMBLY¾ LAW ON LOCALSELF-GOVERNMENT4ECONOMICAL SITUATION INDUSTRIESMETAL-CUTTINGMACHINE TOOLSFORGING-PRESSINGMACHINESELECTRIC MOTORSTIRESKNITTED WEAR
HOSIERYSHOES
CHEMICALSTRUCKS
INSTRUMENTS

ECONOMICAL SITUATION 2 IMPORTS

NATURAL GASPETROLEUM
FOODSTUFFSTOBACCO PRODUCTS

 EXPORTS

DIAMONDSSCRAP METALMACHINERY
COGNACCOOPER ORE
BRANDYMINERAL WATERBEER

5MAJOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIANORGANIZATIONS IN ARMENIAz OCHAOFFICE FOR THE COORDINATIONOF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRSz USAID

US AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONALDEVELOPMENTz UNDPUNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENTPROGRAMMEz ARCSARMENIAN RED CROSS SOCIETYBACK GROUND OF THEESTABLISHMENT OF NSSP RAz IN 1988 SPITAK EARTHQUAKE OCCURREDz 25,000 PEOPLE WERE KILLEDz OVER 20,000 PEOPLE WERE INJUREDz 515,OOOPEOPLEWERERENDEREDHOMELESSz A LARGE NUMBER OF CITIES IN NORTHARMENIA WERE DESTROYED AND SOCIALAND ECONOMICAL PATTERN OF THEENTIRE COUNTRY WERE CHANGED6BEFORE THE 1988 EARTHQUAKE THERE WAS NOT A CLEAR AND
WELL PLANNED DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THECOUNTRYTHE MAIN REASON FOR THAT WAS, ARMENIA WAS RULED BYTHE SOVIET UNION THOSE DAYSTHEY DID NOT PAY THEIR ATTENTIONWELL ON DISASTER MANAGEMENTTHEY DID NOT PREPARE A DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN
EVEN AFTER EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED IN 1926
(1.000 PEOPLE WERE KILLED)
OTHER THING IS USSR ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEMWAS HIGHLY CENTRALIZED,ALL THE DECISIONS WERE TAKEN BY USSR ACADEMY OFSCIENCE, WHICH WAS SITUATED IN MOSCOWTHE DID NOT REALIZE THE REAL SITUATION IN ARMENIA7z IT IS FORECASTED THAT THE NEXTEARTHQUAKE WILL BE IN CAPITALCITY OF ARMENIA, WHERE MORE
THAN ONE THIRD OF THE TOTALPOPULATION IN THE COUNTRY LIVE INz THERE FOR I991 A SEISMIC RISKREDUCTION PROGRAM WASSUBMITTED TO THE PARLIAMENT ANDTHE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIAzTHE MAIN TWO PROPOSALS OF THEPROGRAM WERE- PREPARATION OF A NATIONAL SEISMICRISK REDUCTION POLICY- ESTABLISHMENT OF A RESPONSIBLEINSTITUTION FOR SEISMIC REDUCTIONMATTERS UNDER THE GOVERNMENTWITHREQUIREDPOWERSANDAUTHORITIESz

AS A RESULT OF THIS NATIONAL SURVEY
FOR SEISMIC PROTECTION (NSSP) WAS
ESTABLISHED IN 1991

8NATIONAL SURVEY FORSEISMIC PROTECTION UNDER THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIATHE MISSION OF ARMENIANNSSP“SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION
IN ARMENIA”

9STRATEGIES OF NSSP
1. SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN
ARMENIA
2. SEISMIC RISK REDUCTION IN
YEREVAN CITY
The Programs, adopted by the Government ofthe Republic of Armenia on the 10th and 7th ofJuly in 1999 are designed for 30 years.

FUNCTIONS OF NSSPz SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENTz SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENTz PREDICTION OF SECONDARY HAZARDz PREPAREDNESS MEASURESz TERRITORIES` VULNERABILITY REDUCTIONMEASURESz PUBLIC AWARENESSz ESTABLISHMENT EARLY WARNING SYSTEMz ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CENTER FOREMERGENCY SITUATION MANAGEMENTz CREATION OF RAPID RESPONSE MEASURESz ELABORATION OF LAWS AND CODESz ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INSURANCE SYSTEM10POWERS VASTED TO THENSSPz THE NSSP WAS GIVEN SPECIALGOVERNMENTAL STATUS ANDMINISTERIAL POWERSz THE PRESIDENT OF THE NSSP DIRECTLYRESPONSIBLE TO THE PRIME MINISTERz IT IS THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FORSEISMIC REDUCTION MATTERS INARMENIAACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NSSPz NSSP WAS AWARDED BY THE“CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION ” BYUNITED NATIONS SASAKAWADISASTER PREVENTION AWARD IN
1998 IN GENEVA FOR ITSDISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TODISASTER MANAGEMENT FIELD ANDSUBSCRIPTION TO IDNDR11SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENTMAPz THE FIRSTPROBABILISTIC MAPSOF SEISMIC HAZARDASSESSMENT HAVEBEEN CREATED IN
COLLABORATIONWITH SEISMOLOGICALORGANIZATIONS OF
12 COUNTRIESA NEW SEISMIC ZONATIONMAPz THIS WAS COMPILEDIN COLLABORATIONWITH SWISSSEISMOLOGICALSURVEYz THIS MAP WASSUBMITTED TO THEGOVERNMENT OFARMENIA IN 1998 AS A
NEW STRATEGIC FORTHE SAVEURBANIZATION12CURRENT SEISMIC HAZARDASSESSMENTz AN UNIQUE MULTI-PARAMETER NETWORKHAS BEEN ESTABLISHEDz IT CONSISTS 150MONITORING STATIONSPERFORMING ROUND-THE–CLOCK DATACOLLECTION ANDANALYSISz EXPERT SYSTEMS FORCURRENT SEISMIC
HAZARD ASSESSMENTHAVE BEEN CREATED• NEW METHOD FORREINFORCEMENT OF BUILDINGSAND STRUCTURES USING RUBBERBOBBIN HAS BEEN DEVELOPEDAND IMPLEMENTEDSUCCESSFULLY13• NEW SEISMIC CONSTRUCTION
CODE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED• LARGE- SCALE INITIATIVES ANDPROJECTS WERE DEVELOPEDFOR REGIONAL ANDINTERNATIONAL COOPERATION• TWO PROJECTS FOR EARLYWARNING SYSTEM ANDNOTIFICATION HAVE BEENDEVELOPED- EARLY WARNING SYSTEM BASEDON AUTOMATIC REGISTRATIONAND DETERMINATION- EARLY WARNING SYSTEM BASEDON THE FAST DETERMINATION OFEARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS14•STATE DISASTER LAW ANDREGULATIONS HAS BEENPREPARED AND SUBMITTED TOTHE PARLIAMENT ANDGOVERNMENT•PUBLIC EDUCATION ANDTRAINING PROGRAMS ARECONDUCTED• RISK MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING EMERGENCYRESPONSE AND RESCUE OPERATIONS WEREORGANIZED FOR OPERATION IN STRONG
EARTHQUAKE EPICENTRAL ZONE. THEYINCLUDE RESCUERS AND SCIENTIFIC STAFF
FOR RESCUE ACTIVITIES AND SCIENTIFICINVESTIGATIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER ASTRONG EARTHQUAKE• A FULLY EQUIPPED TASK FORCE WAS SENT TO
INDIA TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF GUJARATEARTHQUAKE AND IT WAS HIGHLY ADMIREDBY INDIAN GOVERNMENT15z THREE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES WEREORGANIZED BY NSSP RA- FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “ONCONTINENTAL COLLISION ZONE
EARTHQUAKES AND SEISMIC HAZARD
REDUCTION” IN 1993 (200 EXPERTS FROM 20COUNTRIES)- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON“HISTORICAL AND PREHISTORICALLYEARTHQUAKE IN THE CAUCASUS” IN 1996
- INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON“EARTHQUAKE HAZARD AND SEISMIC RISKREDUCTION” IN 1998 (300 EXPERTS FROM 43COUNTRIES)z SEVEN INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AREIMPLEMENTED BY NSSP- INTAS (INTERNATIONAL TEST AREA FOR SHA INTHE CAUCASUS) AND GSHAP (GLOBAL SHAPROGRAM) WITH ITALY AND RUSSIA- COPERNICUS, WITH GREECE, UK, RUSSIA ANDALBANIA- PICS (PROGRAM INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIONON SCIENTIFIC) WITH FRANCE- SMACH-1 WITH SWITZERLAND- GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONAL SATELLITE GEODESICSYSTEM) WITH BULGARIA, GERMANY, GREECE,EGYPT, RUSSIA, TURKEY, USA AND SWITZERLAND- NATO SCIENCE FOR PEACE PROGRAMMED WITHAZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA AND RUSSIA16A FOUNDATION FOR SEISMICPROTECTION OF ARMENIA WASESTABLISHED UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF NSSPSTRUCTURE OF ARMENIAN NSSP17NSSP CONSISTS OF 1000 STAFF
OUT OF WHICH ARE 300SCIENTISTS, 300 ENGINEERSAND TECHNICIANS, AS WELL AS100 RESCUERS18CONCLUSIONAFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NSSP,DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OFARMENIA WAS RAPIDLY CHANGED AND
IMPROVED.
IT SHOWS THAT ESTABLISHING AN
UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION LIKE NSSPWITH MORE AUTHORITIES AND POWERS,IS AN ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR THEDEVELOPMENT OF DISASTER MANAGEMENTACTIVITIES IN EVERY COUNTRY19