Armenia to Extract Water from the Araks River for Five Months Each Year

Water will be extracted from the Araks River every year from November 1 to March 31 of the following year. This decision was adopted during a meeting of the Armenian government.

The water from the Araks River will be transferred to the Metsamor basin to mitigate the effects of declining groundwater levels in the Akhuryan basin area.

“Due to drought and the impact of climate change on groundwater resources, there is a disruption in the balanced ecological status of water resources, and there is a decrease in the yield of artesian horizons and the Metsamor River, which may lead to the depletion of water resources in the region,” states the justification for the decision.

According to the 1927 Soviet-Turkish convention, which is still in effect, Armenia and Turkey are entitled to utilize the transboundary waters of the Araks River equally, with Armenia's share amounting to 721.7 million cubic meters annually. However, in recent years, Armenia has utilized only a small portion of its share, using just 55% in 2022.