Armenian Villages Trapped by Mining Waste Call for Justice and Clean Water, 19 December 2025

Just two kilometres from the town of Kapan lies the small village of Gomaran with approximately 70 inhabitants...Above the village lies the Geghanush tailings pond, where Kapan Ore Processing Combine deposits mining waste. Residents have long been drawing attention to deteriorating water quality, dust, and related health problems. “We have no health, no water, no harvest, and no work. Young people have left and we are left here alone,” says local resident Ruzanna Khudaryan. Like others in Gomaran, she is calling at least for basic medical care and a solution to the drinking water crisis, as people now have to buy water in shops. Many associate the frequent occurrence of oncological diseases and cardiovascular problems directly with the proximity of the tailings pond and contaminated water sources...

Residents fear that the ever‑higher tailings dam brings serious risks not only for the environment, but also for their health and safety. “When the wind blows, dust and odour come to us from the valley. Trees dry out, fruit spoils. We do not know how the financial assistance from the company responsible for the tailings pond is being used,” explains local resident Zhanna Sargsyan. Community members point out that they receive little transparent information about tailings management, safety measures, or the use of funds that mining companies claim to invest in affected areas...

The Syunik region is one of the areas most burdened by metal mining and ore processing in the whole of Armenia. At the same time, it is a territory facing serious social problems, a lack of public services, and high out‑migration, especially among young people. In this context, Arnika and its partners have been striving for three main changes that should improve life in mining communities such as Gomaran, Geghanush, and other affected villages in Syunik and Lori:

• Better availability of transparent data on pollution – without reliable information, local communities cannot effectively protect their health, environment, and basic rights.
• Strengthening civil society and local initiatives – so that municipalities and community groups can negotiate with public authorities and mining companies on an equal footing.
• Support for the ecological transformation of mining regions – with an emphasis on a healthy environment, new economic opportunities beyond mining, and a fair approach to communities.

These goals are also part of a broader two‑year effort described in the project’s final evaluation. According to this assessment, Arnika’s activities have helped, among other things, to strengthen communication between communities and public authorities and to raise awareness of chemical safety and industrial pollution risks in Armenia...