What we do

The EU4Sevan: Environmental Protection of Lake Sevan project’s overall objective is to enhance the environmental protection of Lake Sevan, which is the largest freshwater lake in the Caucasus Region. Lake Sevan is the most significant source of freshwater, irrigation water, aquaculture, as well as hydropower source in Armenia. Its condition has direct bearing on the region’s environmental health and Armenia’s economic potential. 

UNDP project objective is further improvement of the overall governance system regulating lake Sevan ecosystem management and sustainable use.

The following results are envisaged for achieving the relevant specific output: “The Lake Sevan ecosystem governance is further improved” (corresponding to the output 5 of the EU description of Action):

Output 1: Improved management framework for protection of the Lake Sevan ecosystem and sustainable use of natural resources

Output 2: Revised and updated policy, regulatory and institutional framework governing protection and sustainable use of lake Sevan

Output 3: Enabling environment created for long-term development, planning and implementation of response measures to address water level raising

Output 4: Technical support to cleaning of the Lake’s flooded forest and surrounding swamp areas and planning afforestation/reforestation activities to support Lake Sevan basin ecosystem rehabilitation

The project is co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and jointly implemented under a Multi-Partner Contribution Agreement by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project is part of the EU Action “EU4Energy Efficiency and Environment” and the BMZ-funded programme “Management of natural resources and safeguarding of ecosystem services for sustainable rural development in the South Caucasus” (ECOserve).

Main beneficiaries of the project are the people living in Gegharkunik region.

Key partners of the project are the RA Ministry of Environment, RA Ministry of Economy, and RA Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.

The action is fully in line with Armenia Development Strategy 2014-2025 (ADS) adopted in March 2014 and now under revision, which highlights numerous measures to reduce pollution of water resources. In September 2015, the Government of Armenia signed on to Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This intervention contributes primarily to the progressive achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. It also supports achieving SDGs 15 (Life on land), 13 (Climate protection) as well as SDG 1 (Poverty reduction) and takes account of interactions between the various dimensions and/or SDG sub-targets.

Intended outcome is that ecosystems are managed sustainably, and people benefit from participatory and resilient development and climate-smart solutions.

Some results so far

The capacities of the Sevan National Park SCNO for inhouse management of the Lake’s flooded forest and surrounding swamp areas cleaning have been enhanced with the procurement and provision of one unit machinery for riparian zone cleaning and user training.