The meeting was attended by 31 participants, representing national authorities from Yerevan, local self-government authorities, local NGOs, civil society and water users, representatives of the local contractor team for the development of the RBMP and representatives of donor-funded projects and of the EU4Environment Water and Data programme.
Opening remarks were made by Lilit Abrhamyan, Head of the Water Policy Department of the Ministry of Environment of Armenia.
This public consultation workshop on main issues aims to share the significant water management issues identified in the Northern River Basin District and facilitate feedback from local stakeholders.
In the morning session, the Armenian team leader for the development of the RBMP chapters, the Institute of Chemical Physics of the National Academy of Science of Armenia, presented the characterisation of the Northern River Basin District (water bodies delineation, pressures and impacts on water resources and economic analysis).
The afternoon session of the workshop was dedicated to the refinement of significant pressures and main issues in the River Basin District. Two working groups were set up for this purpose, one for the Debed River Basin and one for the Aghtsev River Basin. The issues identified ranged from urban and industrial wastewater pollution, agricultural and transport runoff, landfill and solid waste to lack of available data.
Background information on the Northern River Basin District management plan
The work to develop the River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for the Northern River Basin District in Armenia started in December 2022. The RBMP is expected to be completed by June 2024. The Northern River Basin District has a total area of 7,185 km2, and includes the Debed and Aghstev River Basins and the small tributaries of the Kura. According to the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the European Union, the RBMP must be in line with the principles of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the requirements of the Water Code of the Republic of Armenia. RBMPs are the main tools for water resources management, prepared after extensive public consultation and valid for a period of six years.
