Abundance of Both Water and Mismanagement

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Armenia’s Water Code, enacted over two decades ago, emphasizes the critical need to safeguard both the quality and quantity of the country’s water resources, ensuring that future generations can meet their basic needs. It calls for the protection of water ecosystems and advocates for sustainable development, defining usable water as what can be consumed without depleting reserves. Yet, in the 22 years since the legislation’s adoption, the principles it champions have been slow to materialize, with both the government and the public struggling to uphold them—especially in the face of climate change and growing water scarcity.

This year’s abundant rainfall hasn’t alleviated Armenia’s persistent irrigation water shortages. At the same time, Lake Sevan—one of the country’s most crucial water resources—continues to be treated like an ordinary reservoir. While the Ministry of Environment argues that releasing water from the lake is unavoidable, it begs the question: Is there really no other option? What key factors have brought Armenia to this point?

Distribution and Management Issues

Armenia’s water resources include all surface and underground waters, from streams to glaciers. The Ministry of Environment, overseeing this sector, reports significant regional disparities in reservoir distribution and capacity. 

According to the Ministry, 21 reservoirs are registered in the Water Cadastre, totaling 1,056 million cubic meters. As of early July 2024, these reservoirs were, on average, 75% full.

The regional breakdown reveals these disparities:

The reservoirs in Tavush region, with a total capacity of 66 million cubic meters, are nearly 98% full. In Syunik, there are two reservoirs with a capacity of 4.47 million cubic meters, which are 94.09% full. Vayots Dzor’s only reservoir, with a capacity of 26 million cubic meters, is 97.77% full. Kotayk, which has three reservoirs with a total capacity of around 34 million cubic meters, is 63.09% full. The situation in Aragatsotn region is also not very encouraging: its two reservoirs, with a total capacity of 96.5 million cubic meters, are only 48.12% full. The Ararat region is also facing challenges, with two reservoirs filled to 85.99%, holding a total of 72 million cubic meters. The largest reservoir in the republic, the Akhuryan reservoir in Shirak region, with a capacity of 525 million cubic meters, is 75.6% full. The majority of reservoirs (seven of them) are concentrated in Shirak, with an average filling rate of 78%.

“Each resident of Armenia has access to approximately 3,800 liters of water annually, which is considered average,” says Arevik Hovsepyan, president of the National Water Cooperation NGO and a hydro-ecologist. She notes that Armenia struggles with seasonal water distribution and, most importantly, its management. “With effective management, our water resources should not only meet our needs but also drive development,” she says.

Hovsepyan also points out the lack of water conservation culture: “Seeing irrigation in the Ararat valley using water from Lake Sevan is heartbreaking. Farmers often believe that the more water they use, the better. This mindset may also stem from uncertainty about future water availability.”

Where Do They Come From and Where Do They Go?

Water conflicts are relevant today. For example, the five Central Asian countries—Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—are engaged in a “peaceful war” over scarce water resources. Arevik Hovsepyan notes that these countries now aim to manage their water resources independently.

In our region, water resources mainly originate in Georgia and Armenia before flowing to neighboring countries.  

“Georgia generates three times more water than Armenia, but in both cases, these are transboundary waters that flow out of the country,” explains Hovsepyan. She adds that while Iran and Azerbaijan have fewer water resources, Azerbaijan, being a lowland country, receives unused water from Armenia and Georgia. However, due to its larger population, Azerbaijan has less water per capita.

“This is an international obligation; we have no right to stop water flow completely. Azerbaijan complains the most because it has extensive land areas, claiming that it receives little and polluted water from Armenia and Georgia,” emphasizes the expert. She also notes that in the future, water quality will become more important than quantity in the region.

Hovsepyan acknowledges that Georgia and Armenia pollute water resources, but points out that Azerbaijan faces similar problems.

“Azerbaijan struggles with both water quantity and quality—clean water is scarce. For example, Baku’s entire water supply comes from a reservoir filled with water from the Kura River, which flows through central Tbilisi. With no other drinking water sources, Azerbaijan must treat and consume this water.”

In contrast, Armenia’s drinking water is of high quality, sourced primarily from natural closed sources. However, Hovsepyan cautions, “It’s a fact that we use water irresponsibly—both for drinking and for irrigation.”

Neighboring countries periodically complain about Armenia polluting its water resources, which is not unexpected.  

“We don’t have any water treatment plants; wastewater is completely discharged into rivers,” says Hovsepyan. “However, it’s important to understand that this harms us more than it does neighboring countries. As the water flows, it gets purified, and by the time it reaches the neighboring country, it is three times cleaner.” Hovsepyan is especially concerned about mining wastewater, which presents a greater danger. “That also harms us more because heavy metals settle on the bottom. The water flows over them, but the sediment remains with us.”

What Do We Want From Our Country?

Armenia’s National Water Program expired in 2015, and for years the country has lacked a water sector management strategy. In 2023, the government started discussing conceptual approaches to developing a strategy.

“We need to understand what we want from our country. We just need proper management,” says Arevik Hovsepyan. She points out that this issue extends to the agricultural sector, a major consumer of Armenia’s water resources. Despite Armenia’s need for agricultural development, there isn’t even a dedicated agency for this sector.

According to the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure (MTAI), water from Lake Sevan irrigates around 30,300 hectares of land across the Gegharkunik, Kotayk, Aragatsotn, Ararat, and Armavir regions, as well as in Yerevan, serving approximately 43,000 farms. The MTAI confirms that farms use this water solely for irrigation. The main crops grown on these irrigated lands include grapes, potatoes, grains, vegetables and alfalfa.

MTAI further states that the extent of irrigated lands and the types of crops cultivated are determined by contracts between Water User Companies (WUC) and water consumers.  

“WUCs lack the capacity to perform accurate calculations. They operate on the principle that more water is better, due to losses in the system. They don’t inspect farms annually, instead relying on past data,” says Hovsepyan, highlighting the absence of an intermediary working with farmers.

The expert notes that water losses in irrigation systems can be significant, reaching 40-50%. For the Veolia Water company, these losses are at 70%.  

“Out of 100 liters of water, there is 70 liters of waste—a situation that is considered ‘normal’. Water seeps into the ground, nourishing the subsoil more than the plants. Farmers often wait hours for the water to reach the other end of the field through the soil,” she explains.

What Do We Want From Sevan?

The importance of Lake Sevan cannot be overstated. Without this lake, Armenia could turn into a desert, and its eutrophication could lead to serious public health problems.

The recently developed long-term national vision for the future of Lake Sevan developed by the EU-funded Lake Sevan Environment Protection Project (EU4Sevan) has also faced criticism.  

Hovsepyan argues that the vision is too all-encompassing, merely reflecting the current situation––an approach she believes is flawed and in need of revision.  

“We must prioritize; we can’t address everything all at once. We have to develop one even if it’s to the detriment of the other,” says Hovsepyan, highlighting Sevan’s potential roles as being a source for fisheries, energy, irrigation water, or an ecosystem. “Losing Sevan would be an ecological disaster. Even maintaining its current water quality would be an ecological catastrophe,” she warns.

Vardan Melikyan, a representative of the ADWISE consulting firm and former Deputy Minister of Environment, who helped develop the vision, emphasizes it is grounded in scientific data and takes into account economic, social and environmental factors.  

While Melikyan acknowledges the vision’s abstract nature, he argues that this is necessary. “A vision shouldn’t be too specific; it’s our dream, our aspiration––what we aim to achieve by 2050,” he explains.  

Melikyan says that the vision was developed through discussions with all stakeholders, particularly the scientific community. He adds that the vision is sufficiently detailed to avoid misinterpretations. While the Ministry of Environment reports that the development of the management plan for Sevan National Park is ongoing, it remains unclear whether this vision will address Sevan’s many needs and challenges.

Is Releasing Water From Sevan Inevitable?

At the beginning of summer, there was still debate about releasing water from Lake Sevan. Now it is clear that the water released was inevitable due to the current condition of reservoirs and pumping stations, according to the Ministry of Environment. The MTAI adds that it is necessary to partially mitigate the irrigation water supply deficit.

On June 14, 2024, the government decided to release up to 170 million cubic meters of water from Sevan. The Ministry of Environment reports that this year, the process of releasing water began later than in the past 13 years—starting in mid-June, compared to the second half of May in 2023. However, it remains uncertain whether this amount will be final or if additional water will be released from the lake. 

When asked why water is being released from Sevan despite abundant rainfall, the Ministry of Environment cited MTAI’s justification: “The demand for irrigation water is based on the actual water needs of crops.” It’s worth noting that in 2023, crop water needs were not fully met due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Hovsepyan expresses concern about Sevan’s future: “Sevan is not only a water resource but also a spiritual value. All actions must stem from that understanding,” she emphasizes.

Reservoir Construction: An End In Itself?

Arevik Hovsepyan acknowledges the necessity of reservoirs but argues that current construction programs should first evaluate the volumes of agricultural land.  

“We haven’t determined what we want to grow, where we want to grow them, or what we want to develop. Discussing reservoir construction just to store water seems misguided, because reservoir construction is quite costly,” says Hovsepyan.

According to MTAI, design work is already underway for six of the 15 reservoirs planned under the government’s 2021-2026 program (Elpin, Kasakh: Phase 2, Astghadzor, Argichi, Lichk, and Artik: Phase 1). Feasibility studies for the remaining nine are scheduled, with expert support from a professional group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Meanwhile, construction continues on the Vedi and Kaps reservoirs.

However, Hovsepyan cautions that Armenia’s calculations are outdated due to climate change impacts, emphasizing the need for new assessments before building any river reservoir. She reserves particularly harsh criticism for plans to construct two reservoirs in the Sevan basin.“On one hand, we aim to raise Sevan’s water level, but on the other, we’re building reservoirs on its tributaries? These are conflicting programs. In discussions, we’ve highlighted this inconsistency. I don’t know if our input will be taken into account, but if raising Sevan’s water level is our goal, we must value every single drop,” emphasizes Hovsepyan.

Vardan Melikyan shares this concern, questioning the justification for building two reservoirs in the Sevan basin. He wonders if there are rational and economic reasons or if it’s merely a desire to construct something.  

“Reservoir construction should be justified,” continues Hovsepyan. “Is the reasoning simply that Azerbaijan and Turkey are our neighbors, so we should store water and prevent it from reaching them? In civilized countries, you consider your neighbors. The Danube River benefits 22 countries. I’m not saying we should harm ourselves to provide water to our neighbors, but we have an obligation to share water with them.” 

MTAI reports that beyond the 15 reservoirs mentioned, they’re exploring new areas for reservoir construction. Detailed technical and economic studies are currently underway in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank for the technical and economic studies of the Karmir Village, Garnahovit, and Getik reservoirs.

Hovsepyan continues to highlight the significant water losses in irrigation systems and insists: “We need to calculate whether creating closed irrigation systems and reducing water loss to 10-20% would be cheaper than building reservoirs. We don’t have those calculations.”

The situation around reservoir construction programs is further complicated by contradictions between responsible ministries. MTAI reports that the Ministry of Environment is responsible for managing Armenia’s water resources. However, it is MTAI that coordinates the reservoir construction program and provides the necessary information. 

Surprisingly, the Ministry of Environment, which should be the responsible body for the sector, responding to inquiries states that it has no information regarding the construction of new reservoirs. This contradiction highlights serious issues with cooperation and information exchange between government bodies.

Climate Change

Climate change is having an increasingly significant impact on water resources. According to Hovsepyan, this year’s rainfall is directly linked to these changes. Rising temperatures contribute to evaporation, reducing the amount of available water.

Interestingly, the overall volume of water on Earth is not decreasing; it is being redistributed, creating imbalances in different regions. This phenomenon leads to extremes—one day may experience as much rain as the annual norm, followed by months without any precipitation.

People’s behavior is also changing. In hot weather, water consumption increases, but sources are not replenished due to insufficient rainfall.

The situation is particularly dire in the Armavir region, where there is no water, and residents rely on deep wells with undrinkable water. The use of this water can lead to health problems that are not immediately apparent and difficult to link directly to the water source.

Underground water resources are also at risk. Artesian basins, used for drinking and irrigation, have been overexploited, leading to dropping water levels and deterioration in quality.

The Ararat artesian basin is particularly alarming, primarily due to fish farming. Hovsepyan notes that the water discharged from fish farms could be used for irrigation with the help of pumps, but currently isn’t.“What’s happening in Sevan is happening there too. In some places, the water level has dropped by 18 meters,” she explains.

Hovsepyan argues that we need to consider how to manage these changes and find alternative water sources to meet people’s needs, instead of relying on favorable climate conditions.  

“The time will come when water becomes a precious commodity,” she says. “We need a strategy to sell water as a valuable resource in the future. It is our country’s wealth—we need to first ensure it benefits us, then consider how to profit from it, just as other countries profit from oil.”

Armenia faces significant water resource challenges. Uneven distribution, poor management, inefficient irrigation systems, and Lake Sevan’s fate all demand urgent solutions. The fundamental question the country needs to address is how to balance economic development with environmental needs. Effective water resource management requires not only technical solutions but also strategic approaches and shifts in public awareness. Armenia’s future depends on the decisions made today.

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