Water Management in the South Caucasus USAID Contract No. OUT-LAG-I-804-99-00017-00 ANALYTICAL REPORT 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. February 2002 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Water Management in the South Caucasus February 27, 2002 Mr. Peter Argo Director Office of Energy & Environment U.S. Agency for International Development 20 Telavi Street, 5th Floor Tblisi 380003 Georgia Analytical Report Dear Mr. Argo, We are pleased to provide the USAID Caucasus Mission with the attached report titled ”Analytical Report on Water Quantity and Quality in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia” for the project activities conducted to date in as part of the Water Management in the South Caucasus Project. This report is part of a series of activities for Water Resource Management in the Kura-Aras River Basin that address technical and related policy and institutional conditions and experiences relevant to achieving the objectives of the Project. This report summarizes some of the tasks completed as part of the Activity 1, Monitor Water Quantity and Quality in the Kura-Aras Basin. This report was prepared by the Water Advisors in each of the three countries with the cooperation of the Hydrometeorological Services in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This report is intended to be a “working document” and a focal point of discussions with the Hydrometeorological Services in each country to increase the dialogue for sustainable water management in the South Caucasus. The report will be updated following a detailed review and as more accurate information becomes available. We are pleased to distribute this report to the interested parties in the region on behalf of USAID. Thank you for your assistance in support of this project. Sincerely, Paul C. Dreyer, PE Chief of Party Enclosure cc: Dr. Michael Boyd, USAID/Armenia Mr. William McKinney, USAID/Azerbaijan Mr. Edwin Stains, DAI/Bethesda D210 14 Paliashvili Street, Tblisi 380079 Georgia AUA Center Building; 9 Alex Manukian Street, Suite 207; Yerevan 375070 Armenia Caspian Business Center; 40 Jafar Jabbarli Street, Suite 604; Baku 370000 Azerbaijan Water Management in the South Caucasus Water Quantity and Quality Analytical Report TABLE OF CONTENTS __________________________________________________________________ No. Item Page _______________________________________________________________________ 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Project Activities 1.2 Sources of Information 1.3 Regional Collaboration 1.4 Water Quantity and Quality Data 2. ACTIVITIES IN ARMENIA 7 2.1 Hydrological Data Collection 2.2 Water Quality Data Collection 2.3 Collaborating Organizations 3. ACTIVITIES IN AZERBAIJAN 11 3.1 Hydrological Data Collection 3.2 Water Quality Data Collection 3.3 Collaborating Organizations 4. ACTIVITIES IN GEORGIA 15 4.1 Hydrological Data Collection 4.2 Water Quality Data Collection 4.3 Collaborating Organizations 5. SUMMARY 19 5.1 Data Collection in the Region 5.2 Funding Allocations 5.3 Proposed Activities 5. APPENDIX 21 D210A Development Alternatives, Inc. February 2002 Page 1 of 21 Water Management in the South Caucasus Water Quantity and Quality Analytical Report __________________________________________________________________ No. Title Page ________________________________________________________________________ LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Kura-Aras River Basin 6 Figure 2 Hydrological Stations in Armenia 9 Figure 3 Water Quality Points in Armenia 10 Figure 4 Hydrological Stations in Azerbaijan 13 Figure 5 Water Quality Points in Azerbaijan 14 Figure 6 Hydrological Stations in Georgia 17 Figure 7 Water Quality Points in Georgia 18 LIST OF TABLES (Appendix) Table 1 Hydrological Stations in Armenia Table 2 Water Quality Points in Armenia Table 3 Hydrological Stations in Azerbaijan Table 4 Water Quality Points in Azerbaijan Table 5 Hydrological Stations in Georgia Table 6 Water Quality Points in Georgia Development Alternatives, Inc. February 2002 Page 2 of 21 Water Management in the South Caucasus 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Activities The project activities are being completed by Development Alternatives, Inc. (DAI) is based on a Task Order to the Contract (No. OUT-LAG-I-804-99-00017-00) for a Project “Water Management in the South Caucasus” issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on September 28, 2000. Phase I developed a Needs Assessment to address inter-related activities on issues pertaining to the management of trans-boundary water resources in the Kura-Aras River basin. The Kura-Aras River Basin is shown in Figure 1. The Phase I Needs Assessment of the project identified technical actions for implementation to strengthen water management, as follows: • Improve the institutional capacity for monitoring water quantity quality, • Sponsor projects that demonstrate the benefits from increased cooperation in river basin management, and • Strengthen the legal and regulatory frameworks for trans-national water management. A Final Report was completed and submitted to USAID on April 20, 2001 that summarized the results of all the Phase 1 activities, and recommended the principal activities to be implemented during Phase 2 of the Project. The Phase 2 activities were initiated in the field on August 6, 2001 based on a Task Order issued by USAID on July 27, 2001. The objective of Phase 2 is the implementation of a series of technical activities pertaining to the management of trans-boundary water resources for improved water management in the South Caucasus. The Phase 2 objective is being implemented by technical tasks based on five Principal Activities: • Monitor water quantity and quality in the Kura-Aras River basin, • Develop a framework for a geographic information system (GIS), • Promote data and information exchange to facilitate water management, • Initiate a process for building capacity for integrated river basin planning, and • Initiate a process for an improved legal framework for co-riparian management. The intended outcome is an increase in the quality and quantity of key information that encourages a regional dialogue leading to enhanced water management in the region. A Final Report will be issued with the results of the principal activities and will include long-term plans for integrated river basin management in two pilot areas, as well as a concept paper on the legal aspects of river basin management. 1.2 Sources of Information During the Soviet era, the each of the Hydrometeorological Services (Hydromet) of the republics was structured to provide “vertical” meteorological and hydrologic data collection services to Russia. Meteorological data, for example, were collected from Soviet-designed networks and forwarded to Russia for daily distribution to other republics and the international community. Less important to the Soviets were data on the status and distribution of water resources, which were collected from Soviet- designed networks and forwarded to Russia at the end of each year. Additionally, data collection and management were not directed toward resolution of local (currently national) environmental issues. Similarly, other agencies that focused on municipal, agricultural, and Development Alternatives, Inc. February 2002 Page 3 of 21 Water Management in the South Caucasus industrial water uses were structured to serve ministries throughout the Soviet system, from which they received direction and budget. Hydromet, as a support agency, was not structured to forge cooperative relationships laterally with one another or with other agencies which they now must do on both a national and regional basis. Nowhere is this more evident than in the South Caucasus, where Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia must maintain and enhance the value of their shared water resources. At present, shared responsibility for water management reflect a legacy of the Soviet era, such as: widespread and persistent pollution, inexperience in setting domestic policy among numerous water-related agencies, a declining information base for decision making, no post-independence international agreements on water quantity and quality at trans-boundary points, and other issues that predate the Soviet era. 1.3 Regional Collaboration The World Meteorological Organization was established as a specialized agency of the United Nations by agreement between the UN and WMO in 1951. The purposes of WMO are to facilitate international cooperation in the establishment of networks of stations for making meteorological, hydrological and other observations; and to promote the rapid exchange of meteorological information, the standardization of meteorological observations and the uniform publication of observations and statistics. The WMO facilitates cooperation within water basins shared between countries through a Hydrology and Water Resources Programme that concentrates on promoting world-wide cooperation in the evaluation of water resources and the development of hydrological networks and services, including data collection and processing, hydrological forecasting and warnings and the supply of meteorological and hydrological data for design purposes. At present there is no common mechanism for the exchange of water-related observations. Therefore, it is not possible to integrate and make efficient use of all the observations. The Head of each of the national Hydromets