Dam construction in Turkey caused 30-40% decline of water resources in Araks – Levon Azizyan

Panorama, Armenia
March 23 2021

We face problem of water resources in Araks-Akhuryan section due to dam construction in Turkey, the director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Levon Azizyan told a news conference on Tuesday. 

"It is no coincidence that today, we have 100 million cubic meters less water resources in Akhuryan reservoir than last year. It is because starting from 2012, active dam construction has been carried out in Turkey which has resulted in 30-40% decreased of the overall water resources of Araks river," Azizyan said. 

In the words of the speaker, climate change is another factor that impacts the dramatic decline of water resources as the temperature continues growing since 1994, there is no snow accumulation in the mountainous areas, while the precipitation is mostly in the form of rains. 

"According to various predictions, we will face a problem with water resources in 2024 and the overall availability of water resources will be decreased by 15% to compare with the norm. In 2070, we will face 20-25% and 35-40% decline in 2100," said Azizyan.