Toward Integrated Water Resources Management in Armenia

This report aims to assess the overall water resources management situation in Armenia to identify opportunities for strengthening water security in the country. The proper management of water resources will continue to play a key role in the socioeconomic development of Armenia. The performance of the irrigation, hydropower, municipal, industrial, and environment sectors depends on the judicious and coordinated wise use of the country's water resources. Though overall water resource availability is good, future pressures (including climate change) may increase tensions across these various water-dependent subsectors. Difficult interallocation decisions may need to be made. Recognizing the importance of integrated water resources management (IWRM), the government of Armenia has introduced over the last decade major institutional and policy reforms. These reforms provide a strong legislative foundation and framework (and concomitant institutional bodies and processes) for ensuring the management and development of water resources in the country. Despite this, further institutional strengthening is needed to fulfill the vision of this legislative framework, especially with respect to decentralization of management roles and responsibilities and the implementation and administration of the water use permit system. This is now even more important in the context of emerging challenges in the water sector. These challenges includes continued deterioration of the country's monitoring network (both for quantity and quality, for both groundwater and surface water), poor water resources planning (from the river basin perspective and across multiple stakeholders), continued weak enforcement under the water permit system (the main regulatory function), concerns over water conflicts in the agriculturally important Ararat valley, growing concerns over transboundary issues, and increased needs for strategic development and management of surface water storage. Recommendations for further action and areas of potential investment and technical assistance support are provided. This report provides guidance to the government and donors for strategic water resource investments in the country to help enhance Armenia's future water security.