YEREVAN, September 29. /ARKA/. The Central Bank of Armenia, with the support of the Asian Development Bank, has unveiled the “Armenia Climate Risk Maps” program, which enables the assessment of climate-related and natural threats specific to various territories at the settlement level.
The program aims to create a unified, data-driven, and practical toolkit in Armenia for assessing physical climate risks (risks associated with the physical consequences of climate change and natural hazards – Ed.).
Using micro-data, the tool makes it possible to determine the vulnerability of a specific settlement to climate risks.
The maps are primarily intended for financial institutions. According to Artak Manukyan, a member of the Central Bank Board, the tool can be applied, for instance, when granting agricultural loans.
“Suppose a particular settlement is highly exposed to physical risks such as drought, and applications for agricultural loans or similar products are received from that area. A bank would be able to make its risk assessments more predictable, factor these risks into insurance mechanisms, and even consider mitigation strategies,” Manukyan said.
Program expert Lilit Minasyan noted that the program covers all climate risks, specifically including data on landslides, mudflows, floods, and droughts.
“Initially, we decided to include only climate risks; however, we subsequently expanded the platform to incorporate all physical threats as well. The calculations were based on specific scenarios,” Minasyan said.
The program also features a dedicated water availability index. “By clicking on each locality, we can see the level of water availability and the irrigation systems in place—ranging from drainage networks to surface water sources, wells, and so on,” she said.
The data is available on the Central Bank’s official website to both banks and other users. Additionally, the tool is available via the “Climate Risk Atlas” app, which will be available for download starting September 30.
