Reports on Environment and Urban Development for Alaverdy

GEO ALAVERDI: ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

thousand in the private sectors. The average residential living space was planned to increase by 18,0 thousand people. The industrial facilities were rehabilitated based on the preliminarily existing bases. The primary residential construction was planned for implementation in Sanahin lowland, with planned 84,0 thousand m 2 , by decreasing the 56,0 thousand m 2 of residential area in the lowland and 81 thousand m 2 in Akori lowland. In parallel with the residential construction, it was planned to construct public areas of socio-economic signi fi cance. 2. Description of economic activities Till the 90s Alaverdi was developing as a center of mining industry. The earthquake and the transit to a new socio-economic reality had its impacts on the industries of Alaverdi. The copper plant, the apparel plant, the beer factory and the diary production stopped. The production of construction material decreased dramatically. After the closure of the mining plant in 1988-1989 years, the territory thereof was used by various industrial facilities, with regularly changing pro fi les and capacities. Various areas of the community had tailoring industries, textile productions, factories producing cheese, bread and beer, the power station and a number of various companies. The public facilities and food stocks were all around the city area; however their main part was located in the East of Alaverdi, on the right bank of River Debed. The mining plant, reopened in 1997, today comprises the largest portion of the GDP for the Alaverdi Community and the whole Marz of Lori. The copper processing branch of the mining facility employs 75% of the total number of labor force of the city, occupies 10% of construction industry, 10% of food industry and 5% of light industry. The table below shows the plant production dynamics for the last twelve years.

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

285,98 2789,3 535 6840,42 4955,2 4669,9 6258,7 9475,7 9882,49 8817,55 6954,05 6480,46

Volume of copper Source: Data provided by ACP company, 2009. produced, tonnes

The establishment of small and medium enterprises in the city shall serve as a serious basis for increase in employment rates. Currently, there are 540 businesses registered in the whole Tumanyan region, 262 of which are active. These are mainly small trading or service providing enterprises. The largest business entities of Alaverdi are also the bakery, the production of beer and beverages, the

9

CHAPTER 2. SOCIO – ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

Environmental Knowledge for Change