Country Presentation: Republic of Armenia

Ani Gevorgyan
Head of Complex Department for Seismic Hazard Assessment,
Regional Survey for Seismic Protection,
Ministry of Emergency Situations,
Republic of Armenia,
TEL: (+374 93) 53 35 23,
Email: ani_gevorkjan@mail.ru
Kobe 2023

Disclaimer
This report was compiled by an ADRC visiting
researcher (VR) from ADRC member countries.
The views expressed in the report do not necessarilyreflect the views of the ADRC. The boundaries andnames shown and the designations used on the maps
in the report also do not imply official endorsement or
acceptance by the ADRC.Location of Armenia and neighboring countries

Armenia is one of the ancient countries in the world. Geographically, it islocated in the northeast of Armenian Upland between the Caucasus andSouthwestern Asia. It is bordered in the north by Georgia, in the south byIran, in the east by Azerbaijan, and in the west by Turkey.

General Information
Area: 29.7 km2
Capital: Yerevan

Population: 3.0 million
State form: RepublicRepublic square of Yerevan city

Vernissage

Armenia becomes the first Christian nation

The Armenian Language

The disasters in Armenia

3.15%

1.5%

1.2%0.15%
0%Earthquakes
Mudslides
Landslides and rockfalls

94%

Floods
Irradiation

The main reasons of the losses➢ Underestimated seismic hazard➢ Structures design and construction errors➢ Wrong behavior of the population➢ Governmental bodies weren’t able to organize the rescue
works in time.

Laws and regulations
Seismic Protection activities are regulated by a number oflaws and legislative acts and national programs of theRepublic of Armenia after Spitak 1988 Earthquake:

Law of RA The Law of the Republic of Armenia on Seismic Protection (2002)

The Complex Program of Seismic Risk Reduction in Territory of the RA (1999)
Resolutions ofGovernment
The Complex Program of Seismic Risk Reduction in Yerevan city (1999)
Regulation Regional Survey for Seismic Protection

RegionalSurveyforSeismic Protection (RSSP)
was founded under theGovernment
oftheRepublic of Armenia on
July 17, 1991.
Now Armenian RSSP isunder the Ministry ofEmergency Situation.

The basic goal of RSSP is Seismic Risk
Reduction in Armenia
Armenian RSSP has developed two Strategic National Programs on"Seismic Risk Reduction in Armenia" and "Seismic Risk Reduction inYerevan-city". The Programs, adopted by the Government of theRepublic of Armenia on the 10th and 7th of July in 1999 are designedfor 30 years. All the Ministries and other Governmental, nonGovernmental and private organizations will implement theseNational Programs under the general coordination of Armenian RSSP
assigned by the Government as a responsible body for the SeismicRisk Reduction Strategy development and implementation.

Seismic Risk Reduction Strategy
includes:➢ Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment➢ Vulnerability reduction in urban areas, including reinforcement andupgrading of existing buildings, design of new codes and standards➢ Public awareness, people education and training➢ Early warning and notification➢ Partnership establishment, involving public and private organizations➢ Risk management➢ Disaster relief and people rehabilitation➢ Insurance➢ State disaster Law and regulations.

Armenian RSSP Main Tasks➢

Seismic Monitoring➢

Seismic and Secondary Hazard Assessment➢

Current Seismic Hazard Assessment and Earthquake Prediction➢

Seismic Risk Evaluation and Reduction, Early Warning

including✓

Earthquake Engineering✓

Population Education and Training✓

Preparedness of Government Officials and Local Authorities✓

Development of Early Warning System✓

Compiling of Hazard and Maps

Seismic Monitoring
The Armenian RSSP has a unique multi-parameter observation network
consisting of 140 stations for real-time monitoring of geosphere.

The RSSP is in charge of the seismic protection and seismic monitoring
system. RSSP has the following international and local monitoring systems:➢ USGS-IRIS Project➢ CTBT International Monitoring System (Comprehensive nuclear Test-BanTreaty)➢ The Real Time Seismic Intensity Display System (Joint ArmenianJapanese (JICA) project)➢ READINESS geochemical stations (Armenian-German project)➢ Vayk Seismic array network (Armenian-French project)➢ Observation Network➢ Seismic NetworkArmenian Seismic Network

6 High performance, compact, mediummotion broadband 6TD seismometers

6 High performance, low noise, compact,broadband 3T seismometers
6 High performance, low noise, compact,broadband 5T accelerometers
Vayk array 5 short period (Z comp.) and 1
broad-band STS2
1 Nanometrics Broadband Sensor Trillium
240

Global Seismograph Network Station
There is a seismic station in geophysical observatory located in Garni
village. This station is included in the IRIS Global Seismographic Network(GSN) and which provides real-time access to its data via satellite.

Guralp Network Stations
I would like to mention that wealso have Guralp stations all over ourregion including seismometers andaccelerometers (Guralp CMG - 6TD,3T, 5T).

GCI, Parabolic antenna,
National Data Center

Antenna of GPS station

Hydro geochemical
automatic station

For reliable hazard and risk assessment
the following main tasks are applied:➢ Creation of a reliable and comprehensive database for the territory
larger, than the territory, for which the assessment is carried out.
➢ Assessment on the basis of modern advanced technologies.
➢ Seismic Hazard and Risk assessment for the territory of Armenia

Map of the epicenters of earthquakes
ARMENIA AND ADJACENT TERRITORIES
Early (1932-1962) andmodern (1962-2022)
instrumental period
The catalogue of EQs
consists of more than
42.000earthquakes(including
historicaland paleoseismologicaldata).
Regionischaracterized with socalled
moderateseismicity.

ACTIVE TECTONIC FAULTS OF THE ARMENIA AND
ADJACENT TERRITORIESSeismic hazard assessment

Seismic risk assessment

In the Republic of Armenia there has been developed and are being
realized the National Programs on raising public awareness in disasterrisk reduction area. At present, in all public schools, colleges and higher
the corresponding training programs in disaster risk reduction area arerealized. The audiences and training programs, respectively are
subdivided into two categories:
I. for trainers involved into labor sphere• top managers• medium level managers• specialists• servicing staff
II. for the non involved ones
• pre-school institution children• public school pupils• college students• students of high education institutions• housekeepers, pensioners, invalidsThe Armenian RSSP has significant achievements in the field ofseismic risk reduction.
The main of them are the following:
Seismic Hazard Assessment. The maps of Seismic Hazard Assessment (SHA). The
last SHA map was compiled and approved in 2017.
Current Seismic Hazard Assessment. A unique multi-parameter network has
been established. It consists of 140 monitoring stations performing round-theclock data acquisition and analysis via satellites.
Seismic Risk Assessment. The new methods for seismic risk quantitative
assessment, based on the main seismic risk assessment factors (such as seismic
hazard level, population density and buildings' vulnerability) have been
elaborated.

Reinforcement of existing buildings and structures. New methods for increasing
the earthquake resistance of existing buildings and structures have beendeveloped, successfully tested and implemented into practice.

New building codes. The Armenian RSSP took part in creation of the first nationalbuilding codes for Armenia, which are in good accordance with the international
standards and requirements.
Public Education. The Center for Public Education and Training has been
established in Armenian RSSP. Educational system based on knowledge
dissemination through mass media, TV Programs have been developed.
State disaster Law and regulations. Numerous normative documents, regulatingorganization of seismic protection have been developed. Example: The Law on
Seismic Protection has been adopted by the Parliament in 2002.

The main goal of my research will be

SEISMIC MONITORING, SEISMIC HAZARD, RISK ASSESSMENT AND EARTHQUAKEEARLY WARNING SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AS A PART OF SEISMIC RISKREDUCTION