On Tuesday, April 23, Armenian Minister of Environment Hakob Simidyan held a meeting with Barbara Palm, the manager of KfW bank, along with the bank's senior advisor, Michael Pucher, and its representative in Armenia, Zara Chatinyan.
During the meeting, key issues related to water supply and ecology were discussed. One of the main topics of discussion was the construction of the Kaps Water Reservoir in the Shirak region and its ecological consequences.
Simidyan discussed with colleagues the problems associated with effective water sector management and programs aimed at addressing them.
It is worth noting that in April 2023, an agreement was signed for the construction of the Kaps Water Reservoir and auxiliary facilities project, with a total budget of 97.8 million euros. Of this amount, 68.5 million euros are credit funds attracted from KfW bank, with the remainder being co-financing from the Armenian government.
As a result of the program's implementation, the level of water supply for the Shirak maternal and Akhurian right-bank canals and the adjacent approximately 17,000 hectares of land will be increased. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to replace mechanical irrigation on 2280 hectares of land with gravity irrigation, saving 1.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Also on the agenda was the issue of wastewater treatment in Armenia, particularly in the context of cleaning rivers flowing into Lake Sevan. The minister presented steps taken in collaboration with international partners.
As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached to continue cooperation and close discussions to improve the situation in water supply and wastewater treatment in Armenia.
