On 8 July, the EU4Environment - Water Resources and Environmental Data programme hosted a Regional Workshop on Quantitative Water Management Planning. Organised by the International Office for Water, the online event brought together 166 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. This workshop highlighted the importance of integrating quantitative water management into River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) across the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries.
The rising costs of climate extremes and the urgent need for adaptation
The workshop opened with remarks from Lukas Repa of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment. He highlighted Europe's increasing risk of megadroughts and extreme floods. Repa noted that these events currently cause €9 billion of damage annually from droughts and €7.8 billion from floods, the latter affecting more than 170,000 people each year (EU and UK estimates for 2020). Without adaptation and with a projected warming of +3°C by 2100, these costs are expected to increase exponentially. Lukas Repa then recalled the existing EU strategies and guidelines to help countries adapt.
Quantitative water management planning at local level: Guidance Document to be published soon
The workshop continued with a presentation of the French experience in implementing quantitative management. This was complemented by a detailed presentation of the "Guide on Quantitative Water Management Planning at Local Level", specifically tailored for the Eastern Partnership countries (to be published soon). The guide provides a comprehensive five-step approach to developing and implementing effective quantitative water management plans.
Developing a Quantitative Management Plan in Armenia's Kasakh Sub-basin
A practical case study presented a pilot quantitative water management plan in the Kasakh river sub-basin in Armenia (located in the Hrazdan basin). This demonstrated the application of the principles of the guide in a drought-affected basin in the Eastern Partnership region with limited data on actual water withdrawals.
Alexander Arakelyan, a hydrologist, explained the methodology used by the Armenian experts. They first identified critical nodal points in the basin to better assess the situation in the sub-basin. Water use per nodal point was estimated, environmental flows (minimum flow required for ecosystem health) were calculated, and water balances (total water available for distribution and use) were determined. The Kasakh Quantitative Management Plan then set thresholds for vigilance, alert, reinforced alert, and crisis levels to improve equitable water resource management.
Exchange of experiences between EaP countries
In the final part of the workshop, representatives from the EaP countries shared their perspectives and strategies on quantitative water management, highlighting the diversity of challenges and approaches within the region.
Presentations (click on the presentation to download the PDF)
EU Policies for Floods, Droughts & Water Scarcity - Lukas Repa - 08072024
Quantitative Water Management Planning in the context of River Basin Management Plans - Margot Clarys - 08072024 - EU4ENV
Water Allocation in Transboundary Basins: tools, approaches & lessons learned under the Water Convention - Alexander Belokurov - 08072024
French Experience - Guillaume Poincheval - Pierre Henry de Villeneuve - 08072024 - EU4ENV
Presentation of the QWMP Guide - Xavier Goossens - 08072024 - EU4ENV
Armenian experience Kazakh - Alexander Arakelyan - 08072024 -EU4ENV
Contextualizing Quantitative Water Mangement in Armenia - Lilit Abrhamyan - 08072024
Contextualizing Quantitative Water Management in Azerbaijan - Rafig Veridyev - 08072024
