EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the River basin – Armenia, ,

www.kuraarasbasin.net EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

 Regional Project

 Beneficiary Countries: Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

 Managed from the project office in Tbilisi

 Client: European Commission, DG EuropeAid

 Consultant: EPTISA & Grontmij-CarlBro Consortium

 Start: June 2008

 Duration: extended until Dec 2011 EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Project purpose:

 To help Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to improve river water quality in the Kura River basin through transboundary cooperation and adoption of the river basin management approach

 To improve capabilities of environmental authorities and monitoring establishments in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in water resources management in the Kura River basin EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Project Partners:

Georgia:  Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources  National Environment Agency

Armenia:  Ministry of Nature Protection  Water Resources Management Agency  Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre

Azerbaijan  Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources  National Hydrometeorology Department  Environmental Monitoring Department EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Key Activities:

 Pilot projects: Draft river basin management plans (RBMP) for 5 pilot river basins using EU Water Framework Directive methodology

 Joint Transboundary River Monitoring Programme to harmonise sampling and analysis procedures

 Proposals for improvements in the data structures and information flows to facilitate decision making

 Training and technical guidelines - EU Study Tour for the beneficiaries’ staff from the project countries

 Public awareness raising of the priority transboundary water issues in the Kura-Aras River basin EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

To help Project Partners to understand EU Water Framework Directive methodology the following key documents translated to Georgian, Armenian and Azeri, printed and delivered to the Beneficiaries

 EU Water Framework Directive

 EU Floods Directive

 WFD Technical Guidance: Identification of Water Bodies

 WFD Technical Guidance: Analysis of Pressures and Impacts

 Introduction to Biological Monitoring of Water Quality EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Pilot river basins:

 basin characterization/pressure-impact analysis

 identification “water bodies at risk”

 setting environmental objectives

 programme of measures EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Pilot river basins: -Ganykh; -Khrami; Aghstev; Ganjachai; EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan

Joint Transboundary River Monitoring

April, June, September, December 2009

 Agreed common procedure and reporting format: before sampling, sampling, after sampling  Analysis: standard methods  Inter-laboratory testing  Review of existing practices and QA procedures: questionnaires, visits to the labs  Workshops  glp guidance EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan Joint Transboundary River Monitoring JMP in Kura River basin

Selected parameters Copper Zink Temperature C Iron Transparency Manganese Dissolved oxygen Cadmium Oxygen saturation Nickel pH Led Salinity Molybdenum Conductivity Petroleum products Total suspended/Total dissolved solids Arsenic BOD5 Phenols COD Ammonia nitrogen, ammonia Nitrate nitrogen, nitrates Phosphates

4th RBM Workshop JMP in Kura River basin

Overall Evaluation of three Sampling events

st nd rd Questions 1 Average 2 Average 3 Average grading grading grading 1.Quality of the technical guidance notes prepared 1 1 1 including instructions, sampling procedures and protocols 2.Usefulness of the letters of support and invitation letters 1.5 1.3 1.5 to facilitate the border check through procedure 3.Usefulness and clarity of communications 1.25 1.3 1.5 in the preparatory phase 4. Planning of the event 1.75 1.3 1 5. Performance of the sampling teams 1.5 1.6 1.5 6. Transport and mobility 2 1.3 1 7.Guidance and supervision from the project key experts 1.25 1 1 during the event 8. Preparednessof the equipment used in the field 2.5 1.6 2 9. Compliance with the agreed sampling procedure 2.25 1.6 1.75 10.Compliance with the safety rules 2 1 1.5 11.Demonstration of biological monitoring 1.75 12. OVERALL VALUE OF THE EVENT 1.75 1.3 1.25 Colour key: Green: very good Brown: good Red: some improvements are needed for better compliance with the agreed protocol (EU standard of good practice)

4th RBM Workshop JMP in Kura River basin River water quality data – comparison of heavy metals (1) There are differences in the concentrations of heavy metals betw een the countries and results from the National Reference Laboratory .

Debed-Ayrum Heavy metals

35 RPD= (NRL-country)*100 NRL- Debed /Ayrum/ (NRL+country)/2

30 ARM

AZ 25 GE RPD for Zn

20 ARM-104% concentrations in microg/l AZ-195% 15 GE-17%

10 The lower value of 5 RPD means the GE more precise AZ 0 measurements. ARM As Cd Cu NRL- Debed /Ayrum/ Ni Pb Zn

4th RBM Workshop JMP in Kura River basin

River water quality data – comparison of heavy metals (2)

Khrami - Red Bridge Heavy metals NRL - Khrami /Red Bridge/ ARM AZ 25,0 GE

20,0

15,0 concentrations in microg/l 10,0

5,0

GE 0,0 AZ ARM As Cd Cu NRL - Khrami /Red Bridge/ Ni Pb Zn

4th RBM Workshop JMP in Kura River basin

River water quality data – comparison of heavy metals (3)

Kura-Shykhly Heavy metals RPD= (NRL -country)*100 NRL - Kura /Shykhly/

ARM 18 (NRL+country)/2 AZ 16 GE 14 RPD for Cu

12 ARM-1,7% AZ-114% concentrations10 in GE-92% microg/l 8

6 The lower value of 4 RPD means the more precise 2 GE measurements. AZ 0 ARM As Cd Cu NRL - Kura /Shykhly/ Ni Pb Zn

4th RBM Workshop Interlab testing

Preliminary comparison of the results from the 1st and the 2nd Inter- laboratory testing

Performance of Laboratory Parameter Armenia Azerbaijan Georgia Inter-lab testing Inter-lab testing Inter-lab testing 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd Ammonium Nitrate Orthophosphate Heavy metals As NA NA Cd NA NA Cu Ni Pb ? ? Zn ? Green: passed Red: failed NA – Not analysed

4th Workshop JMP in Kura River basin

River water quality data from the 2nd and the 3rd Sampling (3) However, there is better situation with NO3 and PO4 and in the case of 3rd sampling the results are comparable.

Kura-Kesalo NO3 in mg/l Lab 1 Lab 2 8 Lab 3 7

6

5

4 3

2 Lab 3 1 Lab 2 0 Lab 1 1st 2nd Sampling Sampling 3rd Sampling

4th RBM Workshop EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan EU Project: Trans-Boundary River Management Phase II for the Kura River basin – Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan