Danilyan on the Shortage of Drinking Water and Possible Consequences

Garnik Danilyan, a member of the National Assembly from the "Hayastan" faction, wrote: "I have repeatedly addressed the issue of water resource management. A situation has arisen where, despite being rich in water resources, Armenia suffers from a significant loss of water reserves. Water is a component of security. It is no secret that wars are being fought over water resources in today’s world. While our neighboring countries spend huge amounts of money on mega-projects in this sector, our water losses exceed 70%. More than half of the drinking water does not reach consumers.

In the capital and in the regions, water is being supplied on a 'schedule.' Frequent water outages have become common in the summer heat. Residents of some communities report that non-potable water is coming from their taps. In response to our inquiry, "Veolia Water" said that due to insufficient quantities of water in the summer, the drinking water is mixed with water from deep artesian wells. Residents are forced to buy bottled water to avoid gastrointestinal issues, nausea, and vomiting.

The same grim picture exists in the irrigation water sector. In the Ararat plain alone, there are over 900 abandoned and illegal wells that, without conservation, flow and spill into Turkey and Azerbaijan. Only a few dozen abandoned wells are conserved annually, which, of course, reflects extremely slow progress and does not solve the problem. Meanwhile, there are tens of thousands of uncultivated and dry lands in the Republic of Armenia.

A year ago, in response to my inquiry, I received information from the Government indicating that, for example, of the 25,485 hectares in the Tavush region, only 3,759 hectares are currently irrigable. I am confident that a similar situation exists in other regions of Armenia.

After the handover of Artsakh, we experienced significant losses of water resources. Issues regarding reservoirs and their saturation, as well as the level of Lake Sevan, continue to be problematic in Armenia. This situation is a consequence of the lack of a strategy in the field of water resource management. Without conceptual approaches and investments, it is impossible to address the existing problems in the water sector. Water is a wealth, an irreplaceable resource, and such attitudes and policies will lead to disastrous consequences for Armenia in the coming years," stated MP Garnik Danilyan.