“EcoLur” Informational NGO continues to monitor the development of small hydropower, studies the social impact in affected communities, and identifies problems with aquatic ecosystems.
On April 17, 2021, during its visit to Vayots Dzor Region, Armenia, EcoLur team visited Shatin, Yeghegis, Hermon, and Zaritap communities, in the administrative territories of which small HPPs operate. The team had meetings with the administration of the affected communities of Yeghegis and Arpa rivers and discussed the socio-ecological situation.
Yeghegis River and SHPPs
In the territory of Yeghegis enlarged community, which includes Aghnjadzor, Yeghegis, Horbategh, Sally, Artabuynk, Taratumb, Hors, Vardahovit, Goghtanik, Hermon, Shatin, and Qaraglukh, the Yeghegis River flows with its tributaries, on which 17 small HPPs are built. The residents who took part in the survey mentioned.
- The increase in the number of SHPPs has led to local climate change. Summers are hotter despite the flowing river. There is a lack of moisture. In recent years, cases of tree drying have been significantly more.
- The issue of maintaining sufficient water flow in the river is considered.
- According to many residents, SHPPs often do not maintain the environmental flow of the river during their activities, due to which they have a shortage of irrigation water during the irrigation season. "There is almost no water flowing in the river in summer," the residents said.
- Several times because of the SHPP pipeline accident, the land areas adjacent to the pipeline were flooded by the residents and became unfit for cultivation.
- The domestic sewage of the settlement is mainly poured into the riverbed. Due to the low water level, the river is in an unsanitary condition.
- After the construction of small HPPs, the "red trout" fish species has disappeared in the river.
- Along with the construction of small hydropower plants, social problems have not decreased, but increased. SHPPs receive millions in benefits, water is free for them, but they do not even pay land rent fees… One person's land rent debt has reached 2.0 million AMD. The rent for renting other lands is only 35.0 thousand AMD a year, but he does not even pay it.
- The residents objected to the issue of agreeing to the construction of new small HPPs, as in their opinion there is no free water left in the river, whereas with the installation of new ones, the residual water of the river will not be sufficient to irrigate their land areas, the already endangered ecosystem will be disturbed.
- Yeghegis Community Deputy Head Davit Ohanyan (he is also the owner of "Nane" SHPP) mentioned that SHPP administrations help the community and organize garbage collection, whereas the information on the companies that do not pay the servitude or land rent are sent to the judicial bodies for compulsory collection.
Arpa River and SHPPs
In the territory of Zaritap enlarged community in Vayots Dzor Region, Armenia, Artavan, Gomq, Martiros, Saravan settlements are under the influence of SHPPs built in the catchment area of Arpa River. In his conversation with EcoLur, Zaritap Community Head Simon Babayan mentioned that there are 6 SHPPs in the community. According to the agreement reached, the SHPPs will be closed from June at the beginning of the irrigation season.
The residents of Martiros settlement mentioned that they did not participate in the public hearings related to the issuance of SHPPs' water use permits and environmental impact assessment. They are against the construction of new SHPPs on the Arpa River, as the river water shortage is already significant.
Note by EcoLur: On 8 April 2021, the Armenian Government adopted resolution 488-N "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”, There are 17 small HPPs on the Yeghegis River and its tributaries. Only the load of small hydropower plants on the Yeghegis River is 51.6%. If new small hydropower plants are built on the river, which have received licenses from the Public Services Regulatory Commission, the load will reach 76.69%.
You can find the following fish species in the Arpa River and in its tributaries: Luciobarbus capito, Luciobarbus mursa, Cyprinus carpio, Alburnoides eichwaldii, Oxynoemacheilus brandtii, Alburnus filippii, Barbus cyri, Capoeta sevangi (red-listed in Armenia), Capoeta capoeta capoeta, Chondrostoma cyri, Squalius orientalis, Salmo trutta. You may also find Acanthobramas microlepis, Aspius aspius (red-listed in Armenia): Out of climate-adapted fish species you may see Pseudorasbora parva, Carassius gibelio, often Parasalmo mykiss penetrates.
Considering the above-mentioned facts and the resolution of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, he applications for the construction of new small hydroelectric power stations on the Yeghegis and Arpa Rivers in Vayots Dzor Region, Armenia, must be rejected.
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June 11, 2021 at 16:51