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.
