Armenia implements water management project to protect Lake Sevan

In Armenia, a major water management project is underway to support sustainable agriculture and protect the biodiversity of Lake Sevan. The Vedi Dam project, funded by a 75 million euro loan from the French Development Agency (AFD), a 10 million euro grant from the European Union, and a 15 million euro contribution from Armenia, aims to provide more resilient irrigation for the Ararat plain.

The 30 million cubic meter reservoir and the renovation of Soviet-era irrigation canals are expected to benefit approximately 5,000 farmers. By implementing drip irrigation and utilizing the new reservoir, the project intends to reduce annual water withdrawals from Lake Sevan by 29 million cubic meters.

This intervention is critical for the fragile ecosystem of Lake Sevan, which has faced ecological decline since the 1930s due to intensive water extraction for hydroelectricity and irrigation. Such historical exploitation caused the lake's water level to drop by roughly twenty meters.