Water resource adaptability project planning works have been launched within UNDP-GCF "National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to advance medium and long-term adaptation planning in Armenia" project.
At the workshop held on April 27, Florence Pintus, Team Lead at French International Office of Water, presented the purpose, scope of work and expected results of the development of Armenia's water sector adaptation program. She noted that concrete measures are envisaged to promote the stability of the water sector in the face of climate change.
There are three options for approving a water resources adaptation plan. According to Ms. Pintus, the adaptation plan in the first version will be approved by the resolution of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, which will be followed by amendments to RA Water Code. "It will have a normative nature, in the future it will have a legally binding impact on all public-private entities," she said. In the second version, the plan will be approved by the Government without linking to Water Code. "In this case, it will be local in nature; it will be legally binding only on the state bodies mentioned in it," she said.
In the third version, the plan will be approved by the order of Environment Minister without linking it to Water Code. "In this case, it will be local, it will be legally binding only for the structural subdivisions of Environment Ministry," Florence Pintus said.
Olympia Geghamyan, National Expert at French International Office of Water, presented the policy of climate change in Armenia and its comparison with the water sector policy.
Olympia Geghamyan mentioned. "It will be right, both in the legislation and in the international spheres, to achieve that the policy of our country is carried out not in the form of episodes and separate events, but it shall serve a common goal and state will shall be demonstrated. We need to have sustainable legislation that mitigates the vulnerability of water resources as much as possible and increases adaptability in this area."
Alexander Arakelyan, Climate Change and Adaptation Expert at French International Office of Water, referred to the changes in the observed and predicted climate and hydrological cycle, noting that the water demand should be maximally clarified in the context of climate change.
Armenuhi Burmanyan, a gender expert at French International Office of Water, presented Gender Monitoring and Social Impact.
According to the speaker, climate change increases gender inequality, reduces women's ability to be financially independent, and has a general negative impact on women's social and political rights, especially in economies that rely heavily on agriculture.
According to the speaker, Armenia has significantly improved its drinking water supply. "More than 96% of the urban population has safe sanitation services. Since 2012, three new mechanical wastewater treatment plants have been built in the regions of Armenia, and two existing stations have been rehabilitated.
Improved drainage, wastewater collection and treatment services are not available to 23.4% of the population in Armenia. The gap between urban and rural populations with access to securely managed sanitation services is 47.5%. In 579 settlements (only two of which are urban) with a population of 680,000, the water supply is provided by the municipalities, not by the water operators. "There are no data on water consumption in these communities, as there is no measurement of water use," he said.
Liana Margaryan, a water resources management expert at French International Office of Water, spoke about what sub-sectors will be included in the water sector adaptation programs, how they see cross-sectoral problems and their solutions.
He noted that the annual usable surface water in Armenia is 8.1 billion m3, whereas groundwater - 1 billion m 3: "Armenia, with its 3 million permanent population, can supply about 3100 m3 of water per person per year. It seems that it is a large quantity, we do not have a problem, but the spatial-temporal distribution of water resources is disproportionate and does not meet water demand according to different areas of water use. Armenia is a country with low water availability, subject to water stress with 45% water use. How will it be in the future? According to forecasts, in 2030-2040 the water stress index in the central and southern parts of Armenia will increase to 80%," she said.
Photo by UNDP-GCF NAP
May 18, 2021 at 11:10