On October 23-24, the first Water Data Hackathon was held in Armenia. The event, organized through the joint efforts of the European Union (EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data programme) and the U.S. Agency for International Development, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia, brought together 34 young people to collaboratively develop ideas for digital solutions aimed at the sustainable management of water resources.

Gayane Hovsepyan, head of the Water Resources Management Department at the RA Ministry of Environment, emphasized the importance of the initiative in actively involving young people in water resource management and making the field more attractive for emerging experts. She stated, "During these two days, young people presented many diverse and innovative ideas. We will further discuss, study, and definitely apply these ideas to manage water resources in the best possible way. I hope that the experience and knowledge gained during this time will inspire interest among young people, encouraging them to pursue careers in water resource management as specialists in the future."

Over the two days, participants had the opportunity to work with French experts from the International Office for Water (OiEau) partners of the EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data programme, from the USAID "Improved Water Management in Armenia" programme, and specialists from the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia. They deepened their knowledge of the field and acquired skills in data analysis, processing, and application.

The 3 top-performing teams will receive funding to further refine their ideas and transform them into digital solutions.

Pictures: Gayane Igityan

On 1 October 2024, Mrs. Madalina Laxton, from the European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, and Mrs. Zuzana Sorocinova, from the EU Delegation in Armenia, visited the laboratory of the "Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center" under the Ministry of Environment of Armenia. They were accompanied by Vahagn Tonoyan, the Armenian representative of the EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data programme. 

During the visit, Levon Azizyan, the Director of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, welcomed the guests and provided an overview of several EU-funded initiatives that have been instrumental in upgrading Armenia’s environmental monitoring infrastructure. These include the EU Water Initiative Plus (2016-2029), EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data (since 2022), and EU4Sevan programmes. These efforts have contributed to the technical re-equipment of the laboratory, professional training for staff, laboratory accreditation, and the modernization of surface and groundwater monitoring stations, all in alignment with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). 

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss future steps in Armenia’s monitoring system development, particularly in areas covered by the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA), such as the Water Framework Directive and the Air Quality Directive. Levon Azizyan expressed gratitude for the continuous EU support and highlighted the importance of further collaboration to implement these key environmental directives. 

Read more about the accreditation of the Armenian Water Laboratory on our website: https://eu4waterdata.eu/en/blog-news/30-armenia/370-armenian-water-laboratory-internationally-accredited.html 

The second public consultation workshop on the Quantitative Water Management Plan for the Kasakh River Basin took place in Aragatsotn Marz, Armenia, on 27 August. The workshop was organised by the EU4Environment Water and Data Programme under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment of Armenia.  

This plan is crucial for the development of specific recommendations for the management of water resources in times of drought and water scarcity. 

The event brought together 31 participants, including representatives from the three Water User Associations (WUAs): Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Ejmiatsin; Veolia; regional authorities; the municipalities of Ashtarak and Aparan; and national authorities: the Ministry of Environment, the Water Committee, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Economy. 

Presentations highlighted the seasonal dynamics and quantitative water management challenges 

Following a first workshop in June 2023, the aim of this second workshop was to present the progress made in the development of the quantitative water resources management plan for the Kasakh sub-basin. The meeting was chaired by Lilit Abrahamyan, Head of the Water Policy Department of the Ministry of Environment. The Armenian experts from Tsaturyan Consulting, contracted by the EU programme to develop the plan, presented their work on water balance, environmental flows, water use and deficit in the Kasakh River Basin.  

Naira Mandalyan from the Statistical Committee of Armenia delivered a presentation on water accounts for the Kasakh Basin. She provided a detailed analysis of water supply and use by quarters, which proved to be a very useful and awareness-raising exercise for the stakeholders. 

Following the presentations, a dedicated session allowed stakeholders to provide feedback on the plan, which have been integrated into the revised thematic summaries.  

This consultation is an important step towards the sustainable management of water resources in the Kasakh Basin, and aims to build a consensus on water use that can be replicated in other water-stressed sub-basins in Armenia or in other Easter partnership countries. The EU-based methodology used by Armenian experts for this plan was presented at a regional workshop in June. The presentations are available at the link below. 

Regional Workshop on Quantitative Water Management Planning  

The laboratory of the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Centre under the Armenian Ministry of the Environment's recently received ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, issued by the National Accreditation Body of Armenia (ARMNAB), which is now valid for four years. This accreditation covers a wide range of inorganic parameters for monitoring surface and groundwater, including mineral water, industrial wastewater, treated and untreated running water, as well as atmospheric precipitation of metals and other elements. Certified analyses can be provided also for sulphates, nitrates, chlorides, fluorides, bromides, ammonium, nitrites, phosphate ions, electrical conductivity, pH and many other indicators (Home (armmonitoring.am))

The laboratory underwent major refurbishment of its infrastructure between 2018 and 2019 and was upgraded thanks to substantial support from the European Union over more than seven years. This support was provided through the EUWI+ (2016-2021) and EU4Water&Data (2022-2024) projects, under the continued expert guidance of the Environment Agency Austria. The Armenian Deputy Director, Ms. Gayane Shahnazaryan, underlined the crucial role of this international cooperation in achieving this high level of performance.

Over the past two years, the EU support focus has been on training in the analysis of EU priority substances, including groups of organic parameters such as pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic carbons (VOCs) and phthalates. This training aims to prepare the laboratories of the Hydrometeorology Centre as well as those of Kyiv-Vyshgorod, Chisinau, Tbilisi and Baku for the next phase of accreditation and for full compliance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

Learn more:

• Success in Water Quality Monitoring with EU Support
• EU-Supported Additional Surveys on Surface and Groundwater Status in Moldova
• Training on Surface Water Data Analysis for Eastern Partnership Countries
• Laboratory in Ukraine Achieves International Accreditation with EU Support, Ensuring Quality in Water Monitoring.

The consultation meeting on the Programme of Measures for the Northern River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) was held in Dzoraget on 23 July 2024. This gathering aimed to engage various stakeholders in developing a sustainable water resources management plan for the Northern River Basin. 

The meeting was attended by 35 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures, Statistical Committee of Armenia, as well as Lori and Tavush regional authorities, water users' associations, local communities, and donors. The public consultation meeting was co-chaired by Lilit Abrahamyan, Head of the Department of Water Policy of the Ministry of Environment, and Gayane Hovspeyan, Head of the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Environment. 

During the morning session, the Armenian experts responsible for the development of the RBMP highlighted the main issues and presented the proposed measures to address the issues. Participants engaged actively, posing questions to the expert team and the ministry representatives. The afternoon session featured group discussions aimed at prioritizing measures and planning the next steps for the RBMP implementation. 

Attendees appreciated the meeting's role in strengthening cooperation between central and local authorities. questions were raised about the need for more comprehensive data to better understand the river basin's health, including information on domestic, industrial, agricultural and mining pollution or on water abstraction. 

Key measures discussed included the rehabilitation and construction of new wastewater treatment plants, the rehabilitation of abandoned mines (tailings), the improvement of waste management to prevent pollution from landfills, the enhancement of water monitoring capacities, and the construction of reservoirs. 

RBMP development is a collaborative process that enables stakeholders to develop a shared vision for managing and protecting their water resources for future generations. In Armenia, this process is also mandated by the Water Code. Alignment with the EU Water Framework Directive and other EU water-related directives is part of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between Armenia and the European Union in 2017, which entered into force in May 2021. The Armenian government aims to adopt RBMPs for all six river basins districts by the end of 2024 and ensure their harmonised implementation from 2025. 

In an important step to protect water resources from nitrate pollution, the Ministy of Environment of the Republic of Armenia has adopted a new decree on 18 June 2024. This decree is based on the requirements of the updated Water Code of Armenia, and aims to establish criteria for defining nitrate-vulnerable zones and the measures to be taken to reduce nitrate pollution.  

Establishing criteria for identifying nitrate vulnerable zones  

The decree focuses on water bodies (rivers, groundwater) used for drinking water, as well as lakes, reservoirs and rivers showing signs of eutrophication. The identification process is based on statistical analysis of observation data collected over several years, which ensures reliability. These nitrate vulnerable zones are to be re-evaluated every six years as part of the river basin management plans.  

Measures to reduce nitrate pollution  

To reduce nitrate pollution from agricultural activities, the decree introduces restrictions on the use of nitrogen fertilisers and the storage of livestock manure, taking into account the type of soil and slope, climatic conditions, rainfall, irrigation and agricultural practices. The measures aim at achieving a balance between the nitrogen demand of crops and the amount of nitrogen transferred to soil and water resources resulting in their pollution. The measures, adapted to the specificities of each river basin, will be decided in the framework of the development of the River Basin Management Plans.  

The decree was drafted by an Armenian consultant hired and supervised by UNECE under the EU4Environment Water Resources and Environmental Data Programme. This decree is an important step towards protecting Armenia's water resources and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices. 

Full decree and its annex (in Armenian):   https://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?docid=194277