Armenia needs shift from predominantly sectoral water resource  management to comprehensive national water policy - expert 

ArmInfo. Armenia needs to shift from predominantly sectoral water resource management to a comprehensive national water policy, which should include assessing  strategic reserves and transboundary risks, developing water  diplomacy, modernizing irrigation infrastructure, and drastically  reducing water losses. Political scientist and Doctor of Political  Science Vahe Davtyan writes about this in his article.

Recalling that Armenia celebrated Lake Sevan Day the day before, the  political scientist noted that this is a good opportunity to discuss  the lake beyond its environmental context. Vahe Davtyan emphasized  that 2026 is demonstrating very positive hydrological trends: in June  alone, the water level of Lake Sevan rose by 18 cm. This is the  second-highest level recorded for June since 1927. There are also  preconditions for record-low water withdrawals from the lake.  However, Sevan is much more than just an ecological landmark. It is a  strategic water resource for Armenia, accounting for approximately  96.5% of the country's national water resources.

"In the 21st century, water is gradually becoming a full-fledged  geopolitical and geoeconomic resource, alongside energy, transport  communications, and critical mineral resources. For the South  Caucasus, characterized by the transboundary nature of river basins,  climate risks, and high levels of conflict, the importance of  hydropolitics will only grow. This is especially true given that  Azerbaijan is increasingly incorporating water issues into its  political discourse and strengthening its ambitions toward Armenia.

Under these circumstances, the Sevan issue is no longer solely an  environmental or irrigation issue and is becoming a national security  issue. Armenia needs to move from a predominantly sectoral approach  to water resource management to a comprehensive national water  policy, which should include an assessment of strategic reserves and  transboundary risks, the development of water diplomacy, the  modernization of irrigation infrastructure, and a drastic reduction  in water losses. Sevan is a strategic reserve, an economic resource,  and a key component of Armenia's sovereignty," the political  scientist noted.

As a reminder, Lake Sevan Day is celebrated in Armenia yesterday.

Since 1999, it has fallen on the last Sunday in August. "Sevan is a  blue eye opening among the mountains, reflecting all of Armenia in  its gaze," Levon Azizyan, director of the Center for Hydrometeorology  and Monitoring, wrote on his Facebook page. According to him, 2026  was a special year in the history of hydrometeorological observations  of the lake. During June, Sevan's water level rose by 18 cm. This is  the second-highest June level since observations began in 1927.

A more significant rise in the lake's water level in June was  recorded only in 1988, which is considered the highest in the history  of hydrometeorological observations of Sevan. Furthermore, this year  could set another record. Before 2026, the lowest water discharge  from Sevan was recorded in 2002 - 99.46 million cubic meters.  According to Azizyan, the current positive conditions indicate that  2026 could be the year with the lowest volume of water releases from  the lake.