The residents of Goris and Sisian communities face the problem of water shortage during the irrigation season. Out of 43.9 thousand hectares of agricultural land in Syuniq Region, only 45% - 19.9 thousand hectares (according to 2019 data) were used for the organization of agricultural production. The reason is the general depreciation of the irrigation network and the non-observance of water intake restrictions by SHPPs by Vorotan hydro complex and other water users.
“Contour Global Hydro Cascade” CJSC, which operates Vorotan hydropower complex, uses about 85% of the region's large and strategic water resources for its work and daily regulation reservoir of “Tatev” HPP and six reservoirs – Spandaryan, Shamb, Tatev, Tolors and Angeghakot. These springs and canals fed by Qarahunj Reservoir, the water of rivers and their tributaries, are used by the locals for agricultural purposes.
There is a conflict of interest between local residents and the companies using the region's water resources for hydropower purposes. In this conflict, the hydropower companies have the "lion's share". The water intake from the above reservoirs for energy purposes is about 63 times higher than the water intake for irrigation.
On September 24, 2021, “EcoLur” Information NGO addressed a letter to RA Ministry of Environment, RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, RA Ministry of Emergency Situations, RA Ministry of Nature Protection and Mining Inspection to find out the issues of management, use of water resources, hydropower and irrigation volume in Syuniq Region.
It turned out that "Hydro-metereological Monitoring Center" SNCO does not publish the data on the fullness of Spandaryan, Tatev, Tolors, Shamb, Angeghakot reservoirs, as it does not carry out hydrological monitoring in the above-mentioned reservoirs (Ministry of Environment letter 07/.2/12233) dated on 30.09.2021.
“Contour Global Hydrocascade” CJSC has been granted the right to draw water from the mentioned reservoirs for energy purposes. For the purpose of irrigation, "Syunik" WUC a water permit of 2,2014,937 thousand cubic meters per year.
It should be noted that according to management plan for the southern basin area for 2016-2021, it is planned to increase the share of water used for irrigation by 2040 due to the reduction of water used for hydropower purposes. Annex 2 approved by that decision indicates the implementation of a number of measures required to achieve this goal, particularly:
1. Review of water use conditions laid down for SHPPs, including water intake and regime, compliance with environmental requirements;
2. Strengthening the control and supervision mechanisms and implementation of the conditions of water use permits, including the definition of water distribution mechanisms among water users during water short seasons and optimization of water use;
3. Development, adoption and implementation of self-monitoring mechanisms to improve the accountability of water users, to supplement the actual data on water use, drainage, pollution of water resources;
4. Inclusion of climate change adaptation in regional development programs;
5. Adoption of the decision of RA Government "On defining the zones prohibited for the construction and operation of SHPPs, specially protected areas, forest areas, landslide zones, hydrologically vulnerable areas."
Out of these measures, however, so far only some amendments have been made in RA Water Code, and on April 8, 2021 the Armenian Government adopted resolution "On defining the list of rivers prohibited for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants conditioned with being spawning sites for red-listed or endemic fish species or overloaded with derivation pipelines by 40% and over”, which includes Vorotan River and Dali Tributary to Vorotan in the list of banned rivers.
These amendments, however, are a very small part of the planned measures and are far from solving a number of problems accumulated in the region. They do not prevent the continuous depletion of water resources, do not maintain the proportion of volumes of water resources used for hydropower purposes during the irrigation season and the environmental flow of water resources by hydropower plants, do not apply water distribution mechanisms among water users in low water seasons, use of control mechanisms is not effective, hydropower plants do not self-monitor water intake and environmental flow, accountability of water users, especially the affected population, is not ensured, Adequate measures to adapt to climate change due to declining water flows and changes in water quality are not provided.
October 18, 2021 at 10:17