A new regulated reservoir of the day in Lori Marz. The reservoir built with the financing of the Serbian government will serve the development of the economy of a number of communities in the region.
“Armenpress”According to the report, the official opening of the reservoir was attended by the Ambassador of Serbia to Armenia Tatiana Panayotovich-Tsvetkovich, the permanent representative of UNDP in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili, the deputy governor of Lori Arsen Darbinyan and the head of Lori Berd community Arayik Nersisyan.
A new reservoir built in Hovnanadzor settlement of Lori Berd community, has a capacity of 8,900 cubic meters and a 450 meter long distribution pipeline, will serve two enlarged communities: Lori Berd and Alaverdi. A total of 9 rural settlements will directly benefit from this system, which will feed an existing irrigation canal.
Serbian Ambassador to Armenia Tatiana Panayotovich-Tsvetkovich noted that Armenia and Serbia have very close ties and cooperation. After the opening of the Embassy of Serbia in Armenia in 2019, great efforts were made to further strengthen and deepen these ties. According to him, this program is also aimed at that goal, to strengthen the relations between the two countries.
“When there was a flood in Armenia, it was decided that a part of the assistance provided by the government of Serbia will also be allocated to the implementation of such projects. This is extremely important in terms of preventing future floods. This is the first time when Serbia provides such assistance. We are talking about 1 million euros, which has been allocated for various projects: water management, solar panels and the development of renewable energy. In addition, the programs contribute to the development of the capacities of women and youth, as well as to the empowerment of local communities. It is important that with all this we are strengthening the ties between our countries,” the ambassador noted.
Davit Shintyan, head of the UNDP “Resilience from the Beginning” project, emphasized that 900 households (about 3,700 farmers) will directly benefit from this infrastructure, and more than 8,000 people will benefit indirectly.
“Thanks to the new reservoir, 400 hectares of land will be irrigated. It is important to note that this includes 160 hectares of land previously without access to water, which will allow the restoration of land cultivation and prevent gradual land degradation. This infrastructure is not only about irrigation, it is also about security. Located on a tributary of the Debed River, the reservoir also performs a flood prevention function,” he said.
UNDP permanent representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili added that the main goal of the initiative is to provide benefits for communities through a multi-functional program.
“UNDP has been operating in Armenia for 30 years, and we are happy to have active cooperation with all regions of the country. Lori region is one of the important places where we implement a number of projects. Today we are opening a reservoir in the Lori Berd community, which provides a new source of irrigation water for the surrounding settlements. It also promotes energy efficiency. In Lori region, we have residential areas that are becoming more energy efficient, and we plan to continue active cooperation with the region,” he said.
Arsen Gharibyan, deputy governor of Lori, also emphasized the importance of the project, noting that regulated reservoirs are of great importance. According to him, they contribute to the formation of a microclimate, and also help to reduce the risks of floods and ensure the stability of irrigation.
“This program is especially important for the enlarged communities, particularly the rural settlements of Lori Berd and Alaverdi communities, where agriculture is developed. Crops are often damaged due to scarcity of water. I want to thank the UNDP Armenia office and the Lori Baird community for implementing such a project, as well as for carrying out important activities in the catchment basins,” he concluded.
