Water Quantity and Quality in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

Analytical

Water Quantity and Quality in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

Prepared for

U.S. Agency for International Development

Mission for the South Caucasus

Prepared by: Development Alternatives, Inc.

2002

http://europeandcis.undp.org/WaterWiki/index.php/Armenia

Water quality and quantity issues presents significant opportunities for confidence-building measures at the technical level aimed at enhancing communication and laying the foundation for future cooperation between Armenia and her neighbors, Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Armenia and Azerbaijan have already engaged in very effective and enhanced technical level dialogue on trans-boundary water issues in the context of USAID-funded and other donor activities in the past three years. Watershed protection, which can be extended to include sustainable forest management, wetland protection, and biodiversity conservation, is an important element of improved water supply and quality and can be supported in the context of any broader, multi-donor initiative. In addition, information sharing and environmental education cooperation offers a low-cost option for increasing awareness and promoting environmental initiatives, both nationally and regionally, based on the experiences of the different countries. Recently UNDP/GEF initiated a project on reducing transboundary degradation in Kura-Aras river basin, which also includes Iran.