Development of a River Basin Management Plan for Hrazdan River Basin

Home , Gegharot, Hankavan, Hrazdan, Merdzavan, Metsamor (village), Ptghni

European Union Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+)

Results 2 & 3

DEVELOPMENT OF A RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR HRAZDAN RIVER BASIN

CONSULTATION ON THE PROGRAMME OF MEASURES

APPENDIX 2

ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRES FOR NON-GOVERNMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS

Version 1, 28 September 2020

APPENDIX 2 ANALYSIS OF THE HRAZDAN BASIN PUBLIC CONSULTATION QUESTIONNAIRES – NON-GOVERNMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS

EUWI+ PROJECT: "COMMUNICATION ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR PARTICIPATIVE RBM PLANNING IN ARMENIA"

Within the framework of the European Union Water Initiative Plus (EUWI+) programme, the process of developing Hrazdan and Sevan Basin Management Plans started in 2018. The process of public discussion and consultation of the Hrazdan Basin Management Plan took place during from 20 June to 20 August 2020.

The Water Basin Management Plan is a document developed as a result of collaboration between different stakeholders, offering common solutions to meet the needs of all water users, and taking into account also the needs of the environment. Public participation plays a key role in the management plan development process.

Questionnaires were used as a key tool in the public discussion and consulting process, through which expert opinions and information were collected to make additions to the water basin management plan. The questionnaires were disseminated through Gegharkunik Marzpetaran, the official website of the Ministry of Environment of the RA, the official website of EUWI+, the social networks of the CWP, as well as various CSO networks.

The questionnaire was filled in by local self-government bodies (LSGB) - representing 52 communities (57 questionnaires) and by non-governmental stakeholders of the basin – 134 questionnaires. A total of 191 questionnaires were completed.

This report presents the analysis of the questionnaires filled in by non-governmental stakeholders/local residents of the basin (134 questionnaires). Another report (Appendix 1) presents the result of the questionnaires filled in by the representatives of the LSGB.

The questionnaire was completed by the local population of the following communities of the Hrazdan River basin: Hrazdan, Yerevan, Byureghavan, Karenis, Ptghni, Parakar, Saghmosavan, Metsamor, Oshakan, Vosketas, Haykashen, Amberd, Armavir, Argavand, Etchmiadzin, Mkhchyan, Ararat, Merdzavan.

RESPONDENT INFORMATION

Age Sex

7% 17% 24% up to 30 y 28% 30-45 y Female 52% 46-60 y 72% Male more than 60 y

Field of work / profession pedagogy pupil / student 16% 7% law 47% agriculture 5% Economics Journalism public activity 7% energy 3% 6% community service 4% 5% other

From what source did you learn about the Hrazdan basin management plan? 5% 7% RA ME Website 7% 23% EUWI+Website

Media 19% 39% Social networks Friends

Other

MAIN QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1

What are the 3 most important issues in the Hrazdan Basin in your opinion?

Over-exploitation of water resources in the Hrazdan river basin

Flow of untreated effluents into surface and ground 14% 18% water bodies Pollution of water bodies with cattle breeding 20% waste 25% Lack of water storage facilities 15% 8% Pollution of surface and underground water bodies with solid household waste

Pollution of water bodies from mining industry

As seen from the diagram, the following problems are of almost equally high importance for the non-governmental stakeholders/local population. As for the representatives of the LSGB, the two main problems identified are pollution of water by solid waste and diffuse pollution.

For local residents, the third problem identified is the over-exploitation of water resources in the river basin, whereas for representatives of LSGB, lack of water storage facilities ranks third.

According to residents, the following problems are less important:

 The lack of water storage facilities (59 responses).  Over-exploitation of water resources in the Hrazdan river basin (67 responses).  Pollution of water bodies from mining industry (55 responses).  Pollution of water bodies with cattle breeding waste (30 responses).

QUESTION 2. PLEASE RANK THE ACTIONS IN THE BASIN MANAGEMENT PLAN IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE (1= HIGH, 2= AVERAGE, 3= LOW)

This section of the questions highlights the importance of measures for interest parties to address the key problems included in the basin management plan. 1. The first problem is the overexploitation of water resources, for which 3 solution measures were presented.

Measure 1.1 Recording of actual water use through SCADA system installation 8%

38% 1= high 2= average 54% 3= low

Measure 1.2 Control of water intake for hydropower, industrial and irrigation purposes

18% 43% 1= high 2= average 39% 3= low

Measure 1.3

Establishment of operation regime for two SHPPs (Aragats 1 and Gegharot SHPP on the Gegharot river)

15% 34% 1= high 2= average 51% 3= low

As shown by the analysis, the following measure is especially important for 134 local residents among the measures aimed at the problem of overexploitation of water resources:  Control of water intake for hydropower, industrial and irrigation purposes (58 responses).

The following measures are of average importance:  Establishment of operation regime for two SHPPs (Aragats 1 and Gegharot SHPP on the Gegharot river) (68 responses)  Recording of actual water use through SCADA system installation (72 responses).

2. The second problem is the flow of untreated wastewater into water bodies. Measures refer to household wastewater (measures 2.1, 2.2), industrial wastewater (measure 2.3), and agricultural wastewater (measure 2.4).

Measure 2.1

Construction of wastewater treatment systems in Yerevan, Sevan, Hrazdan, Charentsavan, Masis,

Ashtarak, Etchmiadzin, Aparan agglomerations of the basin

20% 1= high

23% 57% 2= average

3= low

Measure 2.2

Construction of innovative WWTPs in communities of agglomerations with a population of less than 500

19% 24% 1= high 2= average 57% 3= low

As shown by the diagrams, local residents ranked the following measure related to household wastewater treatment as of high importance.

 Construction of wastewater treatment systems in the Yerevan, Sevan, Hrazdan, Charentsavan, Masis, Ashtarak, Etchmiadzin, and Aparan agglomerations of the basin (76 responses)

Measure 2.2 is ranked as of average importance:  Construction of innovative WWTPs in communities of agglomerations with a population of less than 500 (57 responses).

Measure 2.3

Rehabilitation and reclamation of 3 mining areas (Tukhmanuk, Meghradzor, Hankavan

19% 46% 1= high 2= average 35% 3= low

The measure related to industrial wastewater is ranked as of high importance for the local population (61 responses). In comparison, this measure is rated as average by the majority of respondents from the LSGB (67% rated this measure as of average importance)

Measure 2.4

Introducing best agricultural practices

21% 45% 1= high 2= average 34% 3= low

The measure related to agricultural wastewater is of a high importance for 61 local inhabitants and of an average importance for 45 local inhabitants.

3. The third problem is the lack of water storage facilities. To solve this problem, the following measure is proposed: increase in strategic water resources, construction of Kasakh and Yeghvard reservoirs (measure 3.1).

Measure 3.1

Increase in strategic water resources, construction of Kasakh and Yeghvard reservoirs 17%

1= high 28% 55% 2= average 3= low

The measure aimed at solving the problem of inadequate water storage facilities is ranked as of high importance for local people (74 responses). The LSGB (see Appendix 1) and other local residents questioned here agree on the high priority of this measure.

4. The fifth problem is water management. Two solutions are proposed for this problem: improving water legislation (4.1), strengthening institutional capacity (4.2).

Measure 4.1 Improving water legislation

16% 46% 1= high 2= average 38% 3= low

Measure 4.2 Institutional capacity building

19% 32% 1= high 2= average 49% 3= low

Among the measures to address water management issues, the improvement of water legislation is very important for the communities, while capacity building is of average importance.

QUESTION 3

67% of the local inhabitants/non-governmental stakeholders (90 responses) agree with the measures proposed in the basin management plan, and 32% (43 responses) mostly disagree, 1% (1 response) mainly does not agree, while no local residents do not agree at all with the measures proposed. This figure (67%) is much lower than the number of LSGB representatives who agree with the proposed measure (more than 80%).

Do you generally agree with the proposed measures? 1%

32% Yes Partially 67% Mainly no Not at all

QUESTION 4. In your opinion, in addition to the measures listed in the questionnaire at the basin level, are there other additional issues that need to be addressed?

The local population interviewed mentioned the following additional problems:

 Water resources monitoring  Construction or rehabilitation of sewerage networks in cities and villages. Operation of local treatment plants  Access to collected information on water resources  Awareness of the population: showing the culture of water use  “The rivers of Hrazdan / Zangu / Marmarik merge in the territory of Jrarat district, which is part of Hrazdan urban community. Over the years, vegetation, shrubs and trees have grown at the merging place. This is the situation along almost the entire river, especially at the perimeter of the enlarged community of Meghradzor, along the Hrazdan-Hankavan highway, along the entire length of the Marmarik River. I consider it necessary to clean the entire estuary and bed with appropriate equipment, as there is an accumulation of household waste and garbage.”  Sewage from refuges, resorts, camps, and guesthouses in the Marmarik Valley is uncontrollable, and most of it is discharged into the river. It is necessary to control the outflow of industrial wastewater from the factories of Hrazdan factory district at the Marmarik and Hrazdan river confluence point.