AFD delegation presented with details of Vedi reservoir construction  and irrigation network modernization project

ArmInfo. It is very important to institutionally strengthen and increase the capacity of water supply and sanitation services in rural settlements of Armenia.  Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia Vache Terteryan stated during a meeting with a delegation headed by Director of French Development Agency's (AFD) regional office in the South Caucasus Fanny Delpey. 

According to the press service of the department, the Deputy Minister  presented to the guests the details of the construction of the Vedi  reservoir and the modernization of the irrigation system, projects  for the development of irrigated agriculture in the Ararat and  Armavir regions. Minister Terteryan also spoke about the  opportunities to support the comprehensive development of the Syunik  region of the Republic of Armenia, the ongoing national policy and  planning of water resources, improving the management of irrigation  systems and the provision of services in the context of the  Water &  Irrigation Services Enhancement (WISE)  project.

During the meeting, issues related to the process of technical  assistance to the AFD aimed at managing public investments were also  discussed.

Earlier, ArmInfo reported that the construction of the Vedi  reservoir, which should be put into operation this year, continues in  Armenia with loan funds from the French Development Agency of 75  million euros. In general, it is planned to build 15 small reservoirs  in the country by 2026.  Previously, tenders were announced for the  design of six small reservoirs, of which five tenders were held.  Currently, the process of developing a feasibility study for these  five reservoirs is underway. Out of 15 reservoirs, at least 4 have  encountered problems associated with a decrease in water flows, and  therefore the issue of changing their construction site is being  discussed. Work also continues on the construction of large  reservoirs. In particular, during the implementation of the Vedi  reservoir construction project, more than 70 meters of the 85-meter  dam were built.

On January 26, 2016, in order to finance the construction of a  reservoir in Vedi, the French Development Agency allocated a loan of  75 million euros to the Republic of Armenia (co-financing from the  Government of the Republic of Armenia will amount to 15 million  euros), within the framework of which it is planned to build a  reservoir with a volume of 29.4 cubic meters and a water surface of  120 hectares. The sources of water will be the rivers of the Ararat  region - Vedi and Khosrov. Full implementation of the program will  make it possible to alleviate the problem of water shortage in the  Ararat Valley, as well as move from mechanical irrigation to a  gravity supply system, which, in turn, will lead to energy savings.   The project was initially planned to be completed within four years,  but at the end of May 2022, according to the RA government, the  project was completed by 77 percent.

As for the restoration of the Kaps reservoir, KfW Bank announced its  agreement to finance this project.  The Kaps reservoir, unfinished  due to the 1988 earthquake, with a design capacity of 110 million  cubic meters of water, is located in the Shirak region, 22 km  north-west of the city of Gyumri, in the valley of the Akhuryan  River. The program, with a total budget of 70 million euros, is  financed by the German Development Bank -KfW. The loan agreement came  into force on June 29, 2019, the deadline for using the funds was set  until December 30, 2019, but was then extended until June 30, 2024.   At the first stage of the program, it is planned to complete the  construction of a reservoir with a capacity of 25 million cubic  meters of water. At the second stage, it is planned to increase the  infrastructure to 60 million cubic meters.  The project provides for  the construction of auxiliary structures for the Cape Reservoir dam,  equipping hydrological observation points of the Akhuryan River (from  Lake Arpi to the Akhuryan Reservoir), construction of additional  stations, and creation of a centralized database (SCADA system).