Armenia faces major challenges in ensuring a functioning system of water and wastewater management. A third of the population lacks access to functioning wastewater disposal, particularly in rural regions. Wastewater is often discharged into the environment untreated or is disposed of using outdated facilities. This is contaminating Lake Sevan – the country’s largest freshwater reservoir – in particular, but also the system of connected water bodies, causing environmental pollution as well as health and economic risks. Municipalities are increasingly required to provide environmental services for the local population on an independent basis.
Although the government has initiated national strategies and measures, poorly defined responsibilities and a lack of experts and skills have thus far hampered their implementation.
Selected municipalities in the extended catchment area of Lake Sevan provide better water and wastewater services that are eco-friendly, climate-friendly and socially just.
The project pursues the following objectives:
1. It improves the political and legal framework conditions for the forward-looking and eco-friendly management of water resources.
2. It supports municipalities, local businesses and supervisory authorities in drawing up water management action plans and investment programmes that involve the population and take into account gender-specific impacts.
3. It initiates the introduction on a model basis of decentralised wastewater solutions and nature-based approaches in selected municipalities.
4. It develops instruments and trains the responsible authorities to implement integrated management of water bodies in the extended catchment area of Lake Sevan.
5. It promotes civil society engagement on the part of local actors committed to protecting water and the environment and to climate change adaptation.
The project receives financial support of EUR 3.5 million from the European Union.