We cannot sell our kidney: Amulsar mine puts Armenia’s COP17 pledges under scr

With the government touting jobs, tax revenues and economic growth, civil society groups are demanding a fresh environmental assessment and greater transparency over risks to Jermuk’s water resources and biodiversity.

Campaigners demand a fresh environmental assessment as the government defends the project’s economic benefits.

Armenia’s launch of the Amulsar gold mine days before hosting the UN biodiversity summit has drawn criticism from environmental campaigners, who say the project threatens water resources and tests the country’s conservation commitments.

“We cannot sell our kidney for economic gain,” said Ani Khachatryan, a member of the Armenian Environmental Front, during a panel discussion in Yerevan.

She argued that short-term economic benefits could not justify environmental pollution or put future generations at risk.

The government maintains that environmental concerns have been addressed. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who attended the mine’s inauguration on October 10, said consultations and assessments had given the authorities confidence in the project.

The dispute has brought scrutiny of Armenia’s domestic environmental decisions as it hosts the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP17.

Khachatryan spoke at a panel titled “Sowing Solidarity: Youth Movements for Climate and Biodiversity in Armenia, Hungary, Sweden and Ukraine”. Her remarks highlighted concerns about the long-term environmental costs of mining near Jermuk, a resort town known for its mineral waters.

In a statement issued on October 12, Armenian civil society organisations condemned the mine’s opening, saying significant environmental and socioeconomic questions remained unanswered.

The groups warned that acid rock drainage could threaten rivers, groundwater and Jermuk’s mineral waters. They also raised concerns about biodiversity and the future of livelihoods linked to the town’s natural environment. The government and mine operator Lydian Armenia present Amulsar as a major investment that will create jobs, increase public revenue and support surrounding communities.

According to government projections, the mine could have a positive impact of 1.5 to 2 per cent on Armenia’s GDP and generate approximately $130 million annually in taxes and royalties. Pashinyan said the proceeds would help finance infrastructure and public services.

Lydian Armenia says approximately $750 million has been invested in the project, including $150 million financed through a government-backed loan. The Armenian state holds a 12.5 per cent stake in the company.

The operator maintains that the project applies international standards for responsible mining, environmental management and workplace safety.

Environmental organisations, however, are demanding public access to the evidence underpinning those assurances.

Their joint statement urged the authorities to disclose how problems identified in earlier assessments had been resolved and what changes had been made to project documentation. It also called for the implementation of recommendations under the Bern Convention, a European treaty protecting wildlife and natural habitats.

For Khachatryan, Amulsar is part of a wider campaign to protect Armenia’s natural environment. Beyond opposing the mine, she has monitored forests for illegal logging and helped identify illegal activities involving hydroelectric power plants on mountain rivers.

Established in 2013, the Armenian Environmental Front is an informal, non-hierarchical activist group working to conserve natural habitats, protect waterways and promote environmental policy change.

As delegates negotiate biodiversity commitments in Yerevan, Armenian campaigners are calling for concrete action at home: suspend mining operations while maintaining site safety, conduct a new environmental impact assessment and publish evidence showing how water resources and wildlife will be protected.