Irrigation System Modernization Project in Armenia
Armenia
Agriculture
On 3 July 2015, the EFSD Council approved a decision to provide a loan of US $40 million to the Republic of Armenia to finance the Irrigation System Modernisation project, with US $10 million to be co-financed by the Republic of Armenia. The EFSD Resources Manager and the Republic of Armenia signed the loan agreement on October 16, 2015.
The project is part of the long-term national programme to restore and restructure the irrigation and drainage network in Armenia. The Project involves construction of canals in different regions of Armenia: the sites selected for the Project include those where the need for investment is most acute.
The Project includes the following components:
|
Component |
Description |
|
1. Replacement of mechanical irrigation with gravity irrigation |
8 gravity irrigation systems totalling 70.4 km |
|
2. Rehabilitation of main and secondary canals |
8.1 km of main canals; 54.1 km of secondary canals |
|
3. Modernisation of on-farm distribution networks |
277.8 km of on-farm networks |
|
4. Building water user associations’ institutional capacity. Project management. |
Activities to improve the responsibility of water users and efficiency of water user associations management |
Key expected outcomes of the project implementation:
- Net electricity and operation and maintenance cost savings;
- An increase in irrigated land;
- An increase in the number of project beneficiaries;
- Development of the management capacity and technical re-equipment of water user associations, creation of the WUA Federation;
- An increase in temporary employment during construction and in permanent employment – due to increased efficiency and stability in irrigation waters supply and an increase in irrigated land.
[1] The Europe and Central Asia Capacity Development Trust Fund (ECAPDEV) was created in 2011 with the funds provided by the Government of the Russian Federation to be managed by the WB. The objective of providing the grants is to improve the quality of investment project preparation and build the institutional capacity of project implementation units.
