ARMENIA Akhuryan Basin Management Area KEY WATER ISSUES The project is funded by the European Union This project is implemented by a consortium led by Hulla & Co. Human Dynamics KG EPIRB Environmental Protection of International River Basins The Environmental Protection of International River Basins (EPIRB) project aims to improve the quality of water in transboundary river basins in the wider Black Sea region and Belarus, including Armenia. One of the specific objectives is to improve technical capacities by developing river basin management plans (RBMPs) in selected pilot river basins, according to the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). One of the selected pilot basins is the Akhuryan basin management area, which includes the Akhuryan River basin, located in the western part of the Republic of Armenia, and the Metsamor River basin, which is adjacent to the Akhuryan River basin. 2 The Water Framework Directive and river basin management plans One of the requirements of the WFD is the achievement and preservation of good water status by managing waters in natural units — that is, in river basins. Good water status is achieved when pollution is controlled and there is sufficient flow for ecosystems to function and survive. River basin planning follows a structured approach: finding out facts, deciding on necessary actions, making a management plan, and putting the plan into practice. An important first step is to identify significant water management issues so that appropriate solutions and measures can be developed. The impacts of human activities Human activities can lead to serious problems in terms of both water quality and quantity. The most common water-related problems are pollution and the effects of physical modifications to rivers and lakes. Water pollution can arise from two types of sources: point sources, such as discharges from industrial facilities and wastewater treatment plants; and diffuse sources, such as landuse activities, including agriculture. Hydromorphological alterations include the physical modification of waterways, such as engineered modifications to the natural structure or flow of rivers in order to make particular use of them. Such modifications might include land drainage, the construction of flood defences, or the damming of rivers to provide storage for power generation. Another potential problem is excessive water abstraction, which can reduce river flow and even cause rivers and lakes to dry up. A river basin is the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river. The basin sends all the water that falls within it to a central river or estuary. 3 AKHURYAN BASIN MANAGEMENT AREA – Profile TOTAL AREA 5,021.19 km2 LOCATION The Akhuryan River basin in western Armenia, bordered by the Metsamor River basin. Russian Federation Akhuryan - Metsamor Pilot Basin Black Sea Larger Akhuryan - Kars Basin Georgia CHARACTERISTICS 30 rare species of mammal and 200 species of birds. Notable species include waterfowl, panthers, Armenian moufflon, Bezoar goats, and the endangered species Darevsky’s viper. WATER USE Water abstraction, as of January 2014, according to water use permits: irrigation 73.7%; hydropower 18.9%; household drinking water supply 3.3%; fisheries 2.7%; industries 1.4%. DID YOU KNOW? Ample water reserves and good climatic conditions allow agriculture and cattle breeding to be key components of the regional economy. 4 Turkey Armenia Iran Azerbaijan The Akhuryan basin management area — Water challenges POLLUTION FROM WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRIAL DISCHARGES What’s causing the problem? Communal wastewater collection is not carried out appropriately, allowing organic and inorganic pollutants to enter the rivers. Wastewater from the food industry enters the rivers through the sewerage system, posing a significant threat to water quality. Water draining from the iron and molybdenum ore deposits in the Ashotsk region, along with the extraction and processing of construction materials, are further significant point sources of pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of surface waters and groundwater with harmful substances, causing a degradation in water quality. How does it affect water status? The introduction of untreated wastewater causes a rise in the level of phosphorus, nitrogen and organic compounds. The quality of the Akhuryan River downstream from Gyumri and the Karkachun River, and the quality of the Metsamor River below the towns of Armavir, Talin and Metsamor, are particularly threatened. Industrial activities result in high concentrations of hazardous substances such as arsenic, titanium, nickel, chrome and molybdenum in waters in the pilot basins. 5 POLLUTION FROM AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION What’s causing the problem? Agriculture is one of the leading branches of the economy in the Akhuryan basin and mainly comprises crop production and livestock rearing. Cattle and sheep farming are traditional activities and pastures occupy 55 percent of the river basin. Over the past 10 years there has been an increase in the number of livestock. Manure from farms is washed into surface waters and infiltrates groundwater resources, posing a significant threat to its quality. How does it affect water status? Pollution from cattle breeding leads to increased concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and organic compounds, particularly in the Akhuryan and Karkachun Rivers and in the Metsamor River basin. This rise in nutrients causes a rapid growth in algae, known as algal bloom, which affects water quality and biological oxygen demand, also endangering the quality of groundwater. Manure can be a valuable resource rather than just a waste product, but it must be managed appropriately to protect surface waters and groundwater. 6 The explosive growth of algae and plants changes the composition and condition of freshwater in a process known as eutrophication. Oxygen is used up as the dead algae decompose, reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water and altering the survival, reproductive and competitive capacities of water organisms. Algal bloom can be harmful to fish and other aquatic animals, as it creates toxins. Even non-toxic algal blooms can affect aquatic life by blocking out sunlight and creating areas with little or no oxygen. HYDROMORPHOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS AND WATER ABSTRACTION What’s causing the problem? In the lower section of the Akhuryan River, below Lake Arpi, about 11 km of the river (from the settlement of Berdashen to Pokr Sepasar) is diverted through an earthen canal. There are currently eight small hydropower plants (HPPs) operating in the Akhuryan River basin, and three more are under construction. In the lower reaches of the Metsamor River basin, particularly in Armavir province, fish farming has increased significantly in recent years. Hydromorphology combines study of the hydrological regime and of morphological conditions. It deals with the quantity and dynamics of water flow, as well as the shape and boundaries of a particular water body. How does it affect water status? The diversion of the Akhuryan River through the canal has altered the natural flow of the river. Although small, the HPPs put significant pressure on water resources, as the river’s ecological flow cannot be maintained in some sections. The ecological flow is the flow necessary to sustain ecosystem functions. Where HPPs have been constructed, the ecological flow must reach a certain percentage of the annual mean daily discharge in order to ensure the preservation of the river’s ecosystems. Water abstraction for fishery purposes also puts significant pressure on groundwater resources in the southeastern part of the Metsamor River basin, as well as on the flow of the Metsamor River. 7 This publication summarises a review of the pressures and impacts on water bodies in the Akhuryan basin management area, prepared in the framework of the EPIRB project. The full pressure-impact analysis report is available at http://blackseariverbasins.net/en/pilot-basins/akhuryanbasin-akhuryan-and-metsamor. EPIRB Project Regional Office in Kyiv Kyiv 01601, Ukraine Velyka Vasylkivska (former Chervonoarmiiska) Street 13/1, room 502 Tel.: +380 50 330 99 48 EPIRB Project Regional Office in Tbilisi Tbilisi 0102, Georgia 5 Marjanishvili Street, office 402 Tel.: +995 32 236 8877 Editors: Imola Koszta ● Jovanka Ignjatovic Contributors: Vahagn Tonoyan Design and layout: Tricia Barna Copyediting and proofreading: Rachel Hideg Photographs: EPIRB partners ● iStock Vahagn Tonoyan Publisher: The Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe www.blacksea-riverbasins.net The European Union is made up of 28 member states who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders. Legal notice: This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the Human Dynamics Consortium implementing the project and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. © 2015 – Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe