ARMENIAN DAMS SAFETY PROJECT ANNOUNCED WINNER OF WORLD BANK CONTEST
Noyan Tapan
April 2, 2008
YEREVAN, APRIL 2. NOYAN TAPAN. The project on safety of Armenian dams
on April 2 received one of the World Bank annual awards on improvement
of human life in Europe and Central Asia, NT correspondent was informed
by the World Bank Yerevan Office.
The WB country director Donna Dowsett-Coirolo said that technical
examination revealed that most of the Armenian dams were not in
line with international safety standards. Thus the the purpose of
the project was ensure the safety of almost half a million Armenian
citizens who live downstream from these dams. Under the project,
26 dams with a high collapse risk have been reconstructed, which
allowed to protect 375 thousand people living downstream from the
dams. Safety of another 162 thousand people will be ensured after
reconstruction of the Marmarik Dam.
Within the framework of the project, programs on emergency preparedness
have been developed, and accident warning systems have been installed
in 156 villages.