The “Modernization of the Irrigation Systems” Project has been implemented with the support of the Eurasian Development Bank, which acts as the manager of the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development funds.
Out of the $50 million project costs, $40 million represents loan funds, and $10 million is the co-financing from the Government of the Republic of Armenia and its communities.
The loan agreement was signed on October 16^th, 2015, and entered into force on June 10^th, 2016. The completion deadline for the works envisaged by the project was extended till June 30^th, 2025, and the payment deadline until December 31^st, 2025. 

The project consists of four components:

• Replacement of mechanical irrigation systems with gravity systems
• Rehabilitation of primary and secondary canals
• Modernization of on-farm irrigation networks
• Project management, as well as the institutional capacity development of organizations and bodies managing irrigation systems

Objectives:

• Modernization of irrigation systems and increasing their efficiency through the reduction of water losses and electricity costs, as well as the reduction of operation and maintenance costs.
• Expansion of irrigable land areas.
• Institutional development of Water Users Associations (WUA), other organizations, and bodies managing irrigation systems.

The direct beneficiaries of the project are the farmers operating in the impact zone of the restored and modernized irrigation systems, who will receive irrigation water in the necessary volumes and within the established deadlines. Beneficiaries also include the Water Committee, “Jrar” CJSC, and Water Users Associations (WUA). The implementation of this project has been an important impetus for the development of agriculture, particularly for ensuring food security and the efficient management of water resources for irrigation purposes. 

Implemented Works and Measures:

The project has been implemented in the capital and the provinces. For the construction/restoration of the irrigation system sections within a total length of 452,240m a total of 20,598,870,189 AMD was spent, of which the cost of construction works amounted to 19,042,087,183 AMD. 

Component 1. Replacement of Mechanical Irrigation with Gravity-Fed Systems

• 7 gravity-fed systems were constructed with a total length of 37.439 km, costing 2,397,929,142 AMD, of which the cost of construction works amounted to 2,163,088,806 AMD.

Component 2. Rehabilitation of Primary and Secondary Canals

Restoration of Primary Canals

• Emergency sections of 4 canals with a total length of 9.463 km have been restored, costing 1,294,847,678 AMD, of which the cost of construction works amounted to 1,186,309,676 AMD.

Restoration of Secondary Canals

• Emergency sections of 50 canals with a total length of 126.348 km have been restored, costing 8,129,302,495 AMD, of which the cost of construction works amounted to 7,416,825,156 AMD.

Component 3. Modernization of On-Farm Irrigation Networks

• In 111 settlements across the republic, 278.990 km of total length of on-farm irrigation network was thoroughly repaired for a total cost of 8,776,790,874 AMD, with the cost of construction works being 8,275,863,545 AMD.

Component 4.

• Sub-component 4.1: Project management.
• Sub-component 4.2: Development of institutional capabilities of organizations and authorities managing irrigation water supply systems: ensuring technical equipment, personnel training, raising public awareness.

Technical Re-equipment:

Goods and vehicles with a total value of 530,271,398 AMD were acquired for WUAs (Water Users Associations), including:

• 5 off-road vehicles
• 15 pickup trucks
• 5 excavators
• 16 ultrasonic flow meters
• 15 water flow velocity measuring-recording devices
• 60 computer sets
• 20 polyethylene pipe welding machines

Additionally, 3 LADA NIVA TRAVEL off-road vehicles (21,000,000 AMD) were acquired for the ARFD (Armenian Territorial Development Fund), and 2 RENAULT KOLEOS (34,000,000 AMD) and 1 Volvo XC90 B6 Momentum (29,500,000 AMD) off-road vehicles were acquired for the Water Committee's WUA Support Group.

 

Training:
Training courses were organized to raise and improve the qualifications of:

·       Specialists of WUA and “Jrar” CJSC engaged in functions such as water planning and management, operation and maintenance, realization, water measurements, and other technical tasks.

·       Specialists of WUAs performing accounting and financial management functions.

·       Administrative personnel of executive bodies.

·       Specialists from the Water Committee regulating the activities of WUAs. 

Public Awareness:

To provide the public with comprehensive information regarding the project’s results, informational video production work was carried out. Four video clips were released titled: “Let’s Save Water Together” (animated), on the management of water resources in Armenia, the features of the irrigation system, the importance of reservoirs, and the role of the WUAs. The final video summarizes the renovation and modernization project, showcasing the work done along with its results. To disseminate the project’s results and achievements, booklets were also distributed in Armenian, English, and Russian. 

Outcome Indicators:

As a result of the project's implementation, the originally outlined outcome indicators were overachieved:

Works	Predicted	Restored
Replacement of Mechanical Irrigation with Gravity-Fed Systems	37.4 km	37.4 km
Restoration of Primary and Secondary Canals	62.3 km	135.8 km
Modernization of On-Farm Irrigation Systems	277.8 km	279.0 km
Total	377.5 km	452.2 km

 

Results	Predicted	Achieved
Annual Electricity Savings (kW/h)	14.4	15.1
Operational Costs Reduction (mln. AMD per year)	250	280
Increase of Irrigated Land Area (ths. ha)	10.4	12.2
Number of Beneficiaries	114.382	169.488
Irrigation Water Savings (mln. m³)	102.4	119.7