📋 Tender Overview
Project Name
Sustainable Water Use Assessment for Productivity Enhancement (ARM-SWAP)
Project Number
58515-001
Country / Economy
Armenia
Project Status
Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Technical Assistance
Source of Funding / Amount
TA 10498-ARM: Sustainable Water Use Assessment for Productivity Enhancement (ARM-SWAP)
Technical Assistance Special Fund US$ 225,000.00
Operational Priorities
OP2: Accelerating progress in gender equality
OP3: Tackling climate change, building climate and disaster resilience, and enhancing environmental sustainability
OP6: Strengthening governance and institutional capacity
Sector / Subsector
Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management
Gender
Some gender elements
Description
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
The Ararat valley's catchment area, as well as its underground water basin, encompasses the river basins of Akhuryan (including Kars), Kasakh, Metsamor, Hrazdan, Azat, and Vedi within the Republic of Armenia's territory. The catchment area spans 21,187 square kilometers, with 11,075 square kilometers within the Republic of Armenia. The Ararat Valley's artesian basin is the largest and most significant in Armenia, boasting high-quality water resources suitable for drinking and irrigation. This artesian basin is regarded as a strategic reserve. It has the largest agricultural production areas, usually contributing around 40% of the country's agricultural outputs. Through TA 6884-REG: Green and Resilient Rural Recovery through Agri-food System Transformation in Asia Pacific Region ADB is supporting the Government in development of Ararat River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) in accordance with the decree of the RA Minister of Environment of January 27, 2023 "On Approving the Content of the River Basin Management Plan", as well as the national legislative framework for water resources management - the RA Water Code, the RA Law on the Fundamentals of the National Water Policy, Provisions of the RA Law on the National Water Program and related legislative acts, the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), Nitrates and Urban Wastewater Treatment Directives.
Over the past 1015 years, private aquaculture has experienced significant growth within the Ararat Valley, primarily utilizing the artesian basin's water sources. The expansion of aquaculture has led to a significant increase in the withdrawal of underground water resources from the Ararat Valley leading to groundwater depletion and decrease in river discharge. These challenges, particularly related to irrigation water demand, underscore the urgent need to establish frameworks for the equitable allocation of water resources among various sub-sectors of water use within the Ararat Valley and its watershed. In 2013, the total water withdrawal volume reached a record level of 1,753.4 million liters per year, with 1,119.6 million liters per year (approximately 64%)
