With support from the Asian Development Bank, another 50 schools in Armenia will become earthquake-resistant. The preliminary cost of work planned under the Seismic Safety Improvement Program 3 is about $366 million.
“The government will provide $73 million in co-financing, while the Asian Development Bank will provide $293 million,” Education, Science, Culture and Sports Minister Zhanna Andreasyan said at a government meeting while presenting a legislative initiative to ratify the relevant loan agreement between Armenia and the ADB, according to 1Lurer.am .
Cooperation with the Asian Development Bank under the “Seismic Safety Improvement Program 3” loan agreement began in 2016. It envisaged construction and reinforcement work at 46 schools, benefiting about 20,000 students.
The program is expected to include construction work at another 50 schools specified on the relevant list. The loan funds will also be directed toward disaster risk protection, development of urban planning documents related to school construction, as well as other work aimed at improving efficiency in the sector.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also addressed the issue, noting that the program is being implemented successfully. He said construction, reconstruction or major renovation work at at least 303 schools will be completed by the end of the year. The prime minister also recalled that a second program is planned to begin, covering the construction, reconstruction or major renovation of another 300 schools.
“Overall, the process is proceeding successfully, if not well. We must continue consistently,” the prime minister said, stressing that the program should ultimately cover about 1,000 schools to ensure that proper physical infrastructure has been created in Armenia.
