Armenia refines its national water strategy
A blueprint for green growth and biodiversity
Within the EU-funded EU4Green Recovery East programme, the Environment Agency Austria is the lead partner for the provision of technical support as Armenia advances towards a modern National Water Strategy that links water security, biodiversity and green growth.
The Ministry of Environment of Armenia, with technical support provided by the OECD, the Environment Agency Austria and other consortium partners under the EU4Green Recovery East programme, held the 23rd Meeting of the National Policy Dialogue on Water. Organised as part of EU Green Diplomacy Weeks in Armenia, this year's dialogue brought together representatives from 35 national institutions, the EU Delegation, UN agencies, and international donors.
The discussions focused on reforming Armenia’s National Water Strategy, identifying areas requiring continued international support, and strengthening the connection between water and biodiversity in the run-up to Armenia hosting the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biodiversity in 2026.
Advancing Armenia’s National Water Strategy with EU and Austrian expertise
Participants discussed the ongoing development of Armenia’s National Water Strategy, a process led by the Prime Minister’s Office and supported by the World Bank. The strategy is being shaped through wide consultations with water users, agencies, and ministries to secure the country’s water resources for sustainable development.
Thanks to EU funding and the technical expertise of the programme’s implementing Partners, the National Policy Dialogue (NPD) is increasingly used as a practical platform to test policy options, exchange good practices, and translate strategic goals into concrete measures.
Discussions at the NPD highlighted three key priority areas:
- Environmental sustainability – better protection of rivers, lakes, and groundwater, with a focus on ecosystem health and resilience.
- Inclusive water services – fair access, stable service provision for people and the economy, and sustainable financing.
- Smarter decision-making – stronger data, monitoring systems, digital tools, and participatory management involving local communities.
As a long-standing platform supported by the EU, UNECE and OECD, the National Policy Dialogue on Water continues to facilitate these exchanges — helping align perspectives across ministries, academia, civil society, and international partners as work on the strategy progresses.
Alignment with EU environment standards
The meeting acknowledged the significant progress achieved through the amendments to the Water Code introduced in 2022 and agreed on the next steps required to further align with the EU Water Framework Directive and other EU directives stemming from CEPA commitments.
“This year’s global droughts have underlined how essential effective water management is - not only for food security, but also for energy resilience and public health.”
Environment Agency Austria plays a key role in helping Armenian institutions translate EU principles into practical measures for river basin planning, permitting, wastewater management, and the improvement of water monitoring. Under EU4Green Recovery East, Austrian, French, international and Armenian experts work together to review existing practices, pilot new approaches, and develop guidance that can be scaled up nationwide.
“Our role as programme lead is to help translate EU water and environmental standards into daily practice - from data generation and monitoring to river basin planning - so that Armenia’s reforms deliver tangible benefits for its people and nature.”
Connecting water and biodiversity ahead of COP17
A dedicated session focused on the link between water management and biodiversity, taking into account Armenia’s role as host of COP17 of the UN Convention on Biodiversity in 2026. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of healthy water ecosystems — rivers, wetlands, lakes, and groundwater-dependent habitats — for conserving Armenia’s biodiversity and strengthening climate resilience.
The EU4Green Recovery East programme, led by the Environment Agency Austria, supports Armenia in using water policy as a lever for broader environmental goals, including the restoration of degraded ecosystems, the protection of habitats, and better integration of Nature-based Solutions into planning processes. Armenia and the European Union both underline that sustainable growth and environmental protection must go hand in hand: protecting natural resources is not only an environmental priority, but also a sound economic investment.
The EU4Green Recovery East programme is funded by the European Union.
