Armenia, with vulnerable natural and agro-ecosystems in a predominantly mountainous landform with arid climate conditions, and a history of droughts and uneven distribution of water resources, is among the sensitive countries in the Europe and Central Asian Region to global environmental changes. Small farmers, and especially poor women farmers, are disproportionately bearing the consequences of climate change impacts due to poor or no infrastructure and assets, among other reasons.

The project has used community-based approach to achieve desired impact as noted below:

As a result of improved self-governance for water management, the 15 target communities will acquire the professional capacity to exercise the powers granted to them by the legislation by own strength which will certainly have a positive impact on the quality of services and provision of access to drinking water.

Increased incomes and assets generated by small-scale producers in the pilot Solak community, primarily women-headed households will contribute to poverty reduction improving quality of life of target population. The introduction of innovative solar water pumping for irrigation of crops will strengthen community resilience to climate challenges. The social entrepreneurship model, use of renewable energy for crop irrigation and experience sharing (public outreach) will ensure replicability of the effort.

Increased public awareness in relation to the access to water,  sanitation, and hygiene among vulnerable groups (children and women) will contribute to better health from improved water supplies and related practices.

Activities:

Training on innovative agriculture technologies for growing local lentils for the active women farmers of Solak community

Distribution of lentil seeds to women

Pump station renovation in Solak village, Kotayk marz

Before	After
Pump station from the outside	Pump station from the outside (solar panels installed, roof and outside of the station painted and renovated)
Pump station from the inside

WASH information for children

Videos

• “Let’s learn how to wash the hands”
• “Let’s learn how to brush the teeth”

The Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) NGO has launched a new project “Enabling Women to Participate in Sustainable Water Management in Armenia”, funded by The United Nations Democracy Fund. 

This 24-months project, which started on 1 January 2019, aims to contribute to the sustainable management of natural water resources of the Ararat Valley by enhancing participation of women groups in the oversight of community water resources to ensure equitable access to water supply and sanitation. To do so, three interlinked groups of actions will be put in place: discussions on tariff compensation mechanisms to ensure equitable access to drinking water and sanitation by vulnerable and marginalized groups, at national level; monitoring based participation in oversight of irrigation water, at province level; and the implementation of four pilot projects, at community level.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Discussions on tariff compensation mechanisms to ensure equitable access to drinking water and sanitation by vulnerable and marginalized groups 

• Assessment of the impact of current drinking water and sanitation tariffs on vulnerable and marginalized groups
• Participation at the 5th Meeting of Parties of the UNECE/WHO-Europe Protocol on Water and Health
• National Workshop 

Awareness raising campaign

• KAP Study
• Interactive presentations on sustainable water and sanitation practices for primary school children
• Information campaign materials 

Monitoring based participation in oversight of irrigation water

• International expert advice on community participation in water resource management
• Training on irrigation water use management
• Community monitoring of irrigation water management
• Trainings for community representatives on the preparation of project designs

Implementation of four pilot projects

Apaga

Within the framework of the project, in Apaga Community of Armavir Province, a 385m long underground irrigation pipeline was constructed, of which 30 m were constructed by the community. The community contribution was 400,000 (approx. USD 830).  The monitoring work is finished.

Taperakan, Ararat province

In Taperakan Community of Ararat Province, a 512 m long drinking water pipeline was installed, which connects the newly constructed water main to the internal network of the community. The community contribution was 400,000 AMD (approx. USD 830), of which 150 000 AMD (approx. USD 310) was spent on preparation of design and estimate documentation and 250,000 AMD (approx. USD 520) was spent on water pipeline construction. The monitoring was successfully conducted.  

Berkanush, Ararat province

Lusagyugh, Armavir Province

In Lusagyugh Community of Armavir Province, a 155 m long Underground irrigation pipeline was constructed in the school adjacent area. The monitoring work has been done.

Video films 

• “Women Bringing Water to the Village” – a video film dedicated to the construction of irrigation pipelines in Apaga community of Armavir Province and Berkanush community of Ararat Province and a drinking water pipeline in Taperakan community of Ararat Province
• The women of the Apaga community solved the problem of irrigation

Articles on Ecolur Information Center Website – In Armenian

• Returning to the land instead of working abroad: The problem of irrigation water in Apaga community is being solved
• The problem of drinking water in Taperakan community is being solved
• 30 farms in Berkanush village received irrigation water thanks to AWHHE NGO

Certificates of Appreciation 

• Apaga (the original document in Armenian with its unofficial translation attached)
• Lusagyugh (the original document in Armenian with its unofficial translation attached)
• Berkanush (the original document in Armenian with its unofficial translation attached)

UNDEF newsletters

• July 2019 issue – page 8
• HOLIDAY ISSUE, December 2020 – page 5

Online Final Workshop – Experiences in Women’s Participation in Sustainable Water Management in EECCA region – 18th of February, 2021

Agenda

Press release 

12:30-13:00 Registration of participants

13:00-13:10 Workshop opening speech

Elena Manvelyan, President of the “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” NGO/AWHHE

Christian Lamarre, UN Democracy Fund

Component 1: Equitable access to water and sanitation and affordability

13:10-13:25  Equitable Access to Water and Sanitation and Affordability in the context of the Protocol on Water and Health, Diane Guerrier, UNECE Secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health

13:25-13:35 Assessment of the Impact of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Tariffs on Vulnerable and Marginalized Groups, Emma Anakhasyan, AWHHE

13:35-13:45 Accessibility and affordability challenges related to water and sanitation in Bulgaria, Diana Iskreva “Earth Forever” NGO

Video – Soroptimist & Earth Forever / WeWash / Bulgaria / ITW Elena

13:45-14:15 Questions and discussion on experience in meeting challenges

14:15-14:30 Coffee break

Component 2: Women’s involvement in irrigation water management and monitoring

14:30-14:40 Results of the project experience in water monitoring by women in Armenia, Knarik Grigoryan, AWHHE

14:40-14:50 Women’s participation in water monitoring in the Netherlands and results of visit to Armenia, Annemiek Jenniskens, Women for Water Partnership

Video –About Dutch Water Authorities

14:50-15:00 Women’s participation in water resources management in Moldova, Tatiana Siniaeva, Eco-TIRAS 

15:00-15:10 Women’s participation in water resources management in Ukraine, Anna Tsvietkova, Water Country Partnership

Session on Challenges of COVID-19 in the context of project implementation

15:10-16:00 AWHHE responses to COVID challenges

Questions and discussion on experience in meeting challenges

Closing the meeting

Photos

The Republic of Armenia signed the UNECE-WHO/Europe Protocol on Water and Health in 1999. In line with article 6 of the Protocol, draft targets and target dates in the context of the Protocol on Water and Health were prepared during the period of 2013-2014 within the UNECE-FinWaterWei project and approved by the National Policy Dialogue on Water Policy Steering Committee meeting in May 2014. The Protocol requires periodic revision of the targets.

Equitable access score card and the preparation of the Action Plan on equitable access to water and sanitation for 2018-2020, approved by the Chairman of the State Committee for Water Economy of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources. However, Armenia requires support in implementing selected measures under the Action Plan, which will contribute in its turn to reducing inequalities in access to water and sanitation in the country.

To discuss support to be provided by UNECE within the EUWI+ project, a Consultation meeting on the Protocol on Water and Health and equitable access to water supply and sanitation in Armenia was organized in Yerevan on 5 December 2017, jointly with UNDP. As a result, it was decided to revise the national targets under the Protocol, taking into account recent national and global developments, such as the conclusion of the Agreement on Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership between Armenia and the EU and the Sustainable Development Goals. It was also decided to commence the implementation of the first measure under the Action Plan for equitable access to water and sanitation, more specifically measure no.1 (analysis of the water legislative framework and identification of the legislative barriers to ensure the implementation of the Equitable access score-card).

The current assignment focuses on completing the whole cycle of the revision of targets (baseline analysis, prioritization of problems, drafting of targets and consultation process) and implementing the first measure under the Action Plan on equitable access to water and sanitation.

Task 1: Preparation of draft revised national targets under the Protocol on Water and Health

In accordance with the provisions of the Protocol on Water and Health, the targets were revised to reflect the current situation in the water supply and sanitation sector, as well as were harmonized with the Agenda 2030.

Task 2: Analysis of the water legislative framework and identification of legislative barriers to ensure the implementation of the Equitable access score-card

This assignment includes an analysis of the legislative framework and a package of legislative reform proposals to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation in Armenia.

Task 3. Organizing a National Stakeholder Consultation meeting and two working meetings to discuss the process of revision of national targets and implementation of the Action Plan on equitable access.

The methodology for the setting of targets under the Protocol on Water and Health, as contained in the official guidelines documents, requires the organization of broad consultation on draft targets and the plan for their implementation. This is required to reflect the views and needs of different stakeholders in various parts of the country. The same is applicable for the implementation of the Action Plan on equitable access to water and sanitation, which requires consultation on legislative reforms necessary to eliminate geographical, economic and social disparities in access to water and sanitation.

The National Stakeholder Consultation meeting to discuss both streams of work was organized on the 19^th of February, 2019 in Yerevan.

Presentations

• Armine Arushanyan -Results of  the baseline analysis for setting national targets III-VII
• Armine Arushanyan -Progress in the implementation of the 2018-2020 Action Plan on equitable access to water supply and sanitation in Armenia
• Arsen Karapetyan –  EUWI+, CEPA recommended measures for implementation
• Christine Kitzler – The Protocol on Water and Health 
• Christine Kitzler – Update on the work on equitable access 
• Emma Anakhasyan – Draft national targets and target dates overview
• Emma Anakhasyan – Results of the baseline analysis for setting national targets
• Gayane Shahnazaryan -Results of the baseline analysis for setting national targets XVIII-XIX
• Tigran Oganezov – Results of the baseline analysis for setting national targets VIII-XI
• Tigran Oganezov – The analysis of the water legislative framework and identification of the legislative barriers to ensure equitable access to water supply and sanitation
• Vahagn Tonoyan -EUWI+,Country-Progress

Publication

REVISED NATIONAL TARGETS OF ARMENIA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNECE- WHO/EUROPE PROTOCOL ON WATER AND HEALTH

Background

Access to drinking water and sanitation which are available, accessible, affordable, acceptable and safe are human rights. The rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for all are enshrined in the Constitution, laws and regulations of the Republic of Armenia.

Armenia, while not yet being a Party to the UNECE1-WHO/Europe2 Protocol on Water and Health, has been actively involved in the work carried out under its framework. In particular, Armenia carried out a self-assessment of the situation of equitable access to water and sanitation in 2015-2016 by applying the Equitable Access Score-card, an analytic tool developed under the framework of the Protocol on Water and Health. Such assessment highlighted a number of challenges to ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation, in particular an incomplete strategic framework for achieving equitable access to water and sanitation, geographical disparities in access to water and sanitation services, obstacles faced by vulnerable and marginalized groups to access and affordability concerns.

In July 2016, Armenia announced its intention to develop an action plan to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation to be approved by the government and beneficiary ministries.

 Objective of the Equitable Access Action Plan

The aim of the Action Plan 2018-2020 on the Provision of Equitable Access to Water Supply and Sanitation in the Republic of Armenia is to establish a list of measures/activities directed at ensuring the provision of equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as to establish the evaluation criteria, responsible authorities, partners and the sources of funding for the implementation of the proposed actions.

The logic of the Action Plan stems from the legislative, program activities and measures implemented in recent years towards ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as from the assessment of these measures and lessons learned.

The expected impacts from the Action Plan implementation are as follows: – Improvement of equitable access to water and sanitation management (financing and legal regulations); – Reduction of geographic disparities in ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation; – Provision of equitable access to water and sanitation for marginalized and vulnerable groups.

The development of the 2018-2020 Equitable Access Action Plan builds on the findings of the previous self-assessment of the situation of equitable access to water and sanitation in Armenia.

• The logic of the Action Plan stems from the legislative, program activities and measures implemented in recent years toward ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as from the assessments of these measures and lessons learned.
• The aim of developing an Action Plan was to establish a list of measures/activities directed at providing equitable access to water and sanitation, as well as the evaluation criteria, responsible authorities, partners and the sources of funding.

 Methodology for the development of the Action Plan

• The development of the Action Plan in 2016-2017 was driven by the State Committee on Water Systems of the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources and the NGO “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment”, with support from UNECE. The Action Plan was drafted by a group of national experts. The draft Action Plan was presented and discussed during the 16th meeting of the Steering Committee of the National Policy Dialogue in the Water Sector of Armenia (Yerevan, 7 April 2017). The Action Plan was then thoroughly discussed at the National Public Consultation Meeting on Equitable Access Action Plan convened by the Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE) NGO in Yerevan, May 12th Recommendations made by the participants of the meeting to improve the plan were given proper consideration.
• The project entitled “Development of an Equitable Access Action Plan in Armenia” was implemented by the NGO “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment” within the framework of the United Nations Development Account Project “Strengthening Governments’ and water operators’ capacity to ensure equity of access to water and sanitation in countries with economies in transition in the Economic Commission for Europe region”.

Recommendation based on self assessment

Stakeholders involved in developing an Equitable Access Action Plan:

Lead agency(ies): State Committee of Water Economy of the RA Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources and Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment NGO (AWHHE).

Contributing agencies and stakeholders: RA Ministry of Health, RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, RA Ministry of Education and Science, RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, State Committee on Urban Development under the RA Government; Private sector, NGOs, Independent Experts.

Scale of the Action Plan: National and Regional.

Action Plan development  timeframe: 01.12.2016- 01.05.2017

Main features of the Equitable Access Action Plan

Priority areas of actions

• improvement of equitable access to water and sanitation management (financing and legal regulations);
• reduction of geographic disparities in ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation;
• provision of equitable access to water and sanitation for marginalized and vulnerable groups.

Priority measures of the Action Plan(1)

Section 1.  Efficient management to  ensure equitable access to water supply and sanitation /legal and financial/

• Analysis of the water legislative framework and identification of legislative barriers to ensure the implementation of the  Equitable Access Score-Card.
• Development of a draft concept defining the responsibilities for the provision of equitable access to water and sanitation.
• Organization of a Roundtable Discussion to provide for the requirements of the Concept Note of equitable access to water and sanitation.
• Multi-disciplinary assessment on the concept on equitable access to water and sanitation by different stakeholders.
• Inclusion of the “Access to Water Supply and Sanitation” Section (the water supply and sanitation activities and the finances spent on water supply and sanitation) in the annual reports of responsible authorities.
• Assessment of the financial and logistical resources necessary for ensuring the implementation of the concept on equitable access to water and sanitation.

Section 2. Reducing geographic disparities in ensuring equitable access to water and sanitation

• Compilation and analysis of information about the current situation in the communities not serviced by a specialized water and sanitation company, creation of a database.
• Development of a plan and timetable of activities to reduce geographical disparities in equitable access to water and sanitation based on paragraph 6.4. of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Inclusion of the communities not serviced by a water company in the development and investment programs of the water company.

Responsible authorities:

• State Committee of Water Economy of the RA Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources; NGOs;
• Stakeholders:

RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs; RA Ministry of Health; RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development; RA Ministry of Economic Development and Investment; RA Ministry of Finance; RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs , RA Ministry of Justice; RA Ministry of Education and Science; State Committee on Urban Development under the RA Government; Private sector, Water Company “Veolia Djur” CJSC ; NGOs.

Adoption, communication and next steps

• The Action Plan was first communicated and circulated in frames of International Water Day on April 7, 2017
• The public consultation meeting was convened on the 12th of May 2017, which was aimed at the presentation of draft Action Plan 2018-2020 for discussion and improvement before presenting it to the Government of Armenia for approval.
• Final approval came on August 4, 2017 with the Order N 130A of the Head of State Committee on Water Economy.

Acknowledgement

The drafting and adoption of the Action Plan would not be possible without the National Expert Group, Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment NGO and international consultants: Chantal Demilecamps (UNECE, Secretariat of the Protocol on Water and Health) and Roberto Martin-Hurtado (UNECE expert).