Improving Health in Armenia Through Target Setting to Ensure Sustainable Water Management, Access to Safe Water and Adequate Sanitation
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Protocol on Water and Health – Improving health in Armenia through target setting to ensure sustainable water management, access to safe water and adequate sanitation Technical report containing: The baseline analysis of legal, institutional and substantive aspects related to target-setting process under the Protocol on Water and Health in Armenia Yerevan, May 2014 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The present report was prepared in the framework of a project funded by the Government of Finland through its FinWaterWei programme on the implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health in the Republic of Armenia. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) assisted the Republic of Armenia in the implementation of the project as the main implementing entity. The NGO Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment coordinated the inputs of the NGO community and provided logistical support. The report is based on the earlier draft technical paper prepared by the members of the national working group and adopted by the project’s Steering Committee. The following experts contributed to this report: Volodya Narimanyan (Ministry of Nature Protection, Armenia), project coordinator Nune Bakunts (Ministry of Health, Armenia), project coordinator Emma Anakhasyan (NGO Women for Health and a Healthy Environment, Armenia) Vilik Sargsyan (Yerevan State University of Architecture and Construction, Armenia) Tigran Oganezov (Water Management Expert, Armenia) Syuzanna Meliqjanyan (Health expert, Armenia) Samwel Mkrtchyan (Water expert, Armenia) Matthew Kahane (UNECE lead consultant) Alisher Mamadzhanov (UNECE, Secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health) The project team would also like to thank the members of the Steering Committee of the EUWI National Policy Dialogue for Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Supply and Sanitation for their valuable comments and inputs to the finalization of the report. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I.Introduction …………. ............................................................................................................... 6 II.Baseline situation analysis ......................................................................................................... 7 A. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 7 B. Legal framework ..................................................................................................... 9 C. Institutional frameworks ......................................................................................... 30 D. Detailed analysis under twenty target areas ............................................................ 39 III.Annexes…………… ............................................................................................................... 116 3 List of Acronyms AAWI Akhuryan-Araks Water Intake AMD Armenian Dram ASHMS Armenian State Hydrometeorological and Monitoring Service AWHHE Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment AWSC Armenian Water and Sewerage Company CDCP Center for Disease Control and Prevention CJSC Closed Joint Stock Company DRC Dispute Resolution Commission EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EIB European Investment Bank EIMC Environmental Impact Monitoring Centre EU European Union EUWI European Water Initiative GEF Global Environment Facility GIS Geographic Information Systems HMC Hydro-geological Monitoring Centre JMP Joint Monitroing Program LWS Lori Water and Sewerage MA Ministry of Agriculture MDGs Millennium Development Goals MENR Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources MES Ministry of Emergency Situations MF Ministry of Finance MoH Ministry of Health MNP Ministry of Nature Protection MTA Ministry of Territorial Administration NA Nor Akunq NGO Non-Governmental Organization NPD National Policy Dialogue NSS National Statistical Service NWC National Water Council OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe PSRC Public Service Regulatory Commission RA Republic of Armenia RSA Rescue Service of Armenia SCWE State Committee on Water Economy 4 SEI State Environmental Inspectorate SHI State Health Inspectorate SHWI Sevan-Hrazdan Water Intake SNCO State Non-Commercial Organization SWC State Water Cadastre SWCIS State Water Cadastre Information System SWS Shirak Water and Sewerage TBMD Territorial Basin Management Division UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund USAID United States Agency for International Development WBMA Water Basin Management Authorities WFD Water Framework Directive WHO World Health Organization WRMA Water Resources Management Agency WRPD Water Resources Policy Division WUA Water Users’ Association YD Yerevan Djur 5 I. Introduction In September 2012, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Government of Finland signed an agreement under the UNECE-FinWaterWei1 project “Protocol on Water and Health – Improving health in Armenia through target setting to ensure sustainable water management, access to safe water and adequate sanitation”, to support the target-setting process under the Protocol on Water and Health in Armenia. This project has emerged from the National Policy Dialogue on Integrated Water Resources Management and Water Supply and Sanitation (NPD) process under the European Union Water Initiative (EUWI), with UNECE as a key partner of Armenia on integrated water resources management. One of the main objectives of the project is to facilitate the ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health by the Republic of Armenia, by providing a forum for policy dialogue and decision-making on the issues covered by the Protocol. The project has been implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Nature Protection and Health of Armenia and with the participation of the Ministry of Territorial Administration. Non-governmental organization (NGO) Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) has been responsible for the NGO coordination process to collect inputs from the NGO community at all stages of the target-setting process through consultation meetings. The project has been guided by regular meetings of the Steering Committee of EUWI NPD in Armenia, which is chaired by the Head of the Water Resources Management Agency (WRMA) under the Ministry of Nature Protection, and whose other members are representatives of key Armenian entities covering issues of water resources management, water supply and sanitation, including health issues, with the involvement of NGOs. Various independent experts and representatives of donors and international partners working on water resources management issues are also invited to participate. The project kick-off meeting was held as part of the 9th meeting of the Steering Committee on 12 December 2012. Following that meeting, UNECE and the main national stakeholders constituted a Project Working Group, consisting of national consultants with expertise and experience in the main fields covered by the Protocol on Water and Health, including a representative of the NGO AWHHE, and supported by an international consultant appointed by the UNECE and a UNECE staff member. This group compiled the information needed and produced the drafts of the baseline analysis and other documents which were then considered by the Steering Committee. As of May 2014, the working group of national experts and the international consultant completed the work on the baseline analysis, and finalized work on the draft targets and target dates under the Protocol. The present technical report is based on the baseline 1 FinWaterWei is the programme for Finland’s water sector support to the EECCA countries under the Wider Europe Initiative. The FinWaterWEI programme is managed on behalf of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs by SYKE ( http://www.environment.fi/default.asp?contentid=405313&lan=EN) 6 analysis of legal, institutional and substantive aspects related to all twenty target areas under the Protocol on Water and Health prepared by the working group and adopted at the 10th EUWI NPD Steering Committee meeting held on 26 September 2013. II. Baseline situation analysis A. Methodology The baseline analysis is the first substantive technical step under the target setting process and includes an analysis of the existing legal framework (national and international) and the environmental and health situation in Armenia with relevance to all twenty areas of target-setting under the Protocol. The methodology for the setting of targets under the present project was based on the Guidelines on the Setting of Targets, Evaluation of Progress and Reporting, developed by the UNECE and the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe). Main elements of this methodology include (see Figure 1 below): – Identification of key stakeholders and setting up of a coordination mechanism; – Baseline analysis, including an assessment of current normative legal base, water infrastructure, the environment and health condition; – Identification and prioritisation of problems; – Agreement on draft targets, programme of measures and indicators; – Broad consultation with state structures and NGOs on the proposed targets, target dates and relevant programme of measures; – Agreement on targets and their publication and communication to all stakeholders; – Agreement on programme of measures and