New recreation area to be built in Yerevan`s Hrazdan Gorge -  government decision

ArmInfo.  A new recreation area will be built in Yerevan's Hrazdan Gorge. At its April 9 meeting, the Armenian government decided to allocate over 172 million drams for  the project.

As Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan noted in his speech, the recreation  area will begin in the Arabkir administrative district and stretch  for 5.5 kilometers. The program includes the use of new landscaping  techniques, the creation of recreation areas, the construction of  venues for sports competitions, a cafe, and a cinema, which will  serve as social hubs. The program is fully consistent with the  Hrazdan Gorge reconstruction concept. Previously, surveys were  conducted throughout the gorge, examining the flora and fauna, as  well as cultural heritage sites. Avinyan emphasized the need for  legislative amendments, which the Ministry of Environment should  submit. Following this, the Yerevan Council of Elders will recognize  the entire gorge as a specially protected area.

In this regard, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan outlined three  major programs aimed at improving the living conditions of the  capital's residents, one of which is the creation of a specially  protected area in the Hrazdan Gorge. Another project concerns the  creation of a forested area and a public garden in the Dalma Gardens  area, and a third project is related to the creation of a green zone  in the Nork-Marash district, covering an area of over 7 hectares, on  land previously returned to state ownership. Pashinyan emphasized  that the implementation of all three projects begins with the Hrazdan  Gorge, where a modern eco- environment will be created. Moreover, the  program will gradually be expanded to cover the entire gorge.

In response, Tigran Avinyan emphasized that over the past four years,  approximately 60 hectares of green spaces with irrigation systems  have been created in Yerevan, exceeding the figures recorded over the  past 22 years.

The rationale for the draft resolution states that the Hrazdan Gorge  is one of Yerevan's most important natural landscape areas, with  ecological, social, and urban development significance. This area is  a key part of the city's natural environment and has the potential  for widespread public use. However, this section of the gorge is  currently underdeveloped and partially neglected, preventing full and  effective use of the area. 

At the same time, modern urban development trends in Yerevan and the  growing public demand for an active lifestyle necessitate the  creation of new public green spaces and the revitalization of  existing natural areas. The city is increasingly demanding open  spaces accessible for organized recreation, walks, sports, and  cultural events. Furthermore, the project's implementation will  contribute to the development of the city's green infrastructure in  accordance with the principles of sustainable development and  adaptation to climate change. The project envisages construction work  to create a multifunctional recreation area in the section of the  Hrazdan Gorge adjacent to Atenka Street, 5.5 kilometers from the  beginning of the Hrazdan Gorge, allocating appropriate financial  resources for the full implementation of the project, for which  172,608.2 thousand drams will be allocated from the Government  Reserve Fund. Of these funds, 170,940.0 thousand drams is the  contractual amount for construction work, 540.0 thousand drams is the  contractual amount required for consulting services on technical  quality control of construction work, 1,128.2 thousand drams is the  amount required for the provision of author's supervision services.