IW:LEARN | Projects - Reducing Transboundary Degradation in the Kura-Aras Basin

Reducing Transboundary Degradation in the Kura-Aras Basin

The Kura-Aras river system is critical to sustainable development of the South Caucasus countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as the two upstream countries - Iran and Turkey. The rivers run into and impact the Caspian Sea, therefore affecting all communities using the Sea.

The Kura – Aras Rivers flow from the Caucasus mountains down to the Caspian Sea.

Between 2005 to 2007, the governments of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia participated in the preliminary Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) (Russian Version) to identify the main transboundary issues in basin. These issues are: 1. variation and reduction of hydrological flow; 2. deterioration of water quality; 3. ecosystem degradation in the river basin; and, 4. increased flooding and bank erosion.

To address these threats the Full Sized Project will review the preliminary TDA and provide important updates and to fill information gaps. The Project will also support the countries to develop National Integrated Water Resources Management Plans (IWRM Plans) in each country. These National IWRM plans will help each country identify priorities for water use, and strategies for ensuring optimal resource utilization - especially where there are conflicting demands on limited resources. These IWRM plans will be linked with national planning priorities and within the budget planning cycles.

To make these efforts lasting, wide reaching and sustainable, the project plans to focus on key stakeholder capacity-building and public awareness raising activities. These will include trainings on priority IWRM issues across the basin region. These trainings will be developed by national, regional and international experts, and shared with the wider community through our project web page as video training modules. Public awareness raising activities will help people throughout the basin understand sustainable water resource use, why it is important to them and how they can help preserve the beautiful environment we all enjoy.

To help the countries to create standardized measurements for river health the project will implement demonstration projects. These will focus on river flow rates impacted by climate change and developments in the river system, an ecologicial assessment of the rivers, and introduction of biomonitoring – which uses living organisms in the water to gauge river system health.

The updated TDA, the national IWRM Plans, the stakeholder capacity building activities, and the demonstration projects will serve as a strong foundation for the final output – a Strategic Action Programme for the basin. This Programme will serve to harmonize national, and regional, priorities and plans to ensure long term sustainable management of the river basin.

Project Category Other (not set)

Ecosystems River

Project website http://www.kura-aras.org/

Waterbodies Kura-Aras

Regions Asia , Western Asia

TDA/SAP
Reducing Transboundary Degradation in the Kura-Ara(k)s River Basin (updated transboundary diagnostic analysis) Updated Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of the Kura-Ara(k)s River Basin (Russian Version)

Documents & Resources
report Kura Aras River Basin-Water Quality Desk Study(Russian version) UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Data Management part 3 Kura Aras River Basin-Trend Analyses(Russian version) Kura Aras River Basin-Trend Analyses Kura Aras River Basin-Water Quality Desk Study(Russian version) Kura Aras River Basin-Water Quality Desk Study Kura Aras River Basin-Climate Change Desk Study(Russian Version Kura Aras River Basin-Climate Change Desk Study Kura Aras River Basin-Hydrology Desk Study(Russian Version) Kura Aras River Basin-Hydrology Desk Study Executive Summary for the Kura Aras River Basin TDA(Russian Version) Executive Summary for the Kura Aras River Basin TDA IWRM Academy Block I Report UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Climate Change’s Relevance in IWRM UNDP-GEF IWRM Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Climate Change in the Caucuses, Georgia UNDP-GEF IWRM Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Climate Change in the Caucuses, Azerbaijan UNDP-GEF IWRM Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Climate Change in the Caucuses, Armenia UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy - Climate Change Issues Overview UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Case Study: Lake Nasser Flood and Drought Management UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Floods, Droughts, and Risks in IWRM UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Introduction to Floods, Droughts, and Risks UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – River Ecology and Environmental Flows, Relevance in IWRM UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – Environmental Flows, Principles, Approaches, and Calculations UNDP-GEF Kura Aras IWRM Academy – River Basin Ecology The Kura-Aras Themed NGO Forum 2012 Scientific Training on Rapid Ecological Assessment, Environmental Flows and Bio-monitoring IWRM Academy Block I Report.pdf UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Data Management Part 4 UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Data Management Part 2 UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Data Management Part 1 UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Water Quality Monitoring_GE.pdf UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Water Quality Monitoring_AZ.pdf UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Introduction to IWRM.pdf UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Welcome to the Academy.pdf BioMonitoring_BugCard1.10.pdf SOP_benthos_Meissner.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Microinvertebrate Monitoring in River Nile.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Biomonitoring_sampling procedures.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Biomonitoring_Indicators and Monitoring Design.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Biomonitoring in the Water Framework Directive.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Using Environmental Flow to Evaluate Water Policies.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Environmental Flows_Prinicipals Approachs Calculations UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - REAs Data Integration and Management.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - REAs Data Collection and Indicator Matrix.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - REAs Linking Water Quality and Quantity with Ecosystem Conditions.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Examples of Rapid Ecological Assessments UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras Demo Train - Rapid Ecological Assessments_Principles and Approaches.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras NGO Forum 2012_EIAs in EU and US.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras NGO Forum 2012_Biodiv_Linkages.pdf UNDP-GEF Kura-Aras NGO Forum 2012_Introduction and Civil Society Role Capacity Needs Assessment for IWRM - Russian Capacity Needs Assessment for IWRM - ENG UNDP-GEF Kura Aras Demonstration Project Inception Report_RUS UNDP/GEF Kura Aras project-Demonstration Project Inception Workshop Report UNDP-GEF KA - DS-3 WQ HS - RUS 09Oct13 UNDP-GEF KA - DS-1 HYDRO - ENG 09Oct13 UNDP-GEF EU Kura Aras IWRM Academy-Data Management Part 4 TDA 2013 - 15Oct13 FINAL - RUS project-document UNDP GEF Kura Aras Inception_Report Kura-Aras - Project Concept Paper project-identification-form Kura Aras-PIF Kura-Aras Project Document (GEFID 1375) results-notes 2011 Results Notes - Reducing Transboundary Degradation in the Kura Aras River Basin presentation Introduction to the UNDP/GEF Kura Aras River Basin Project Why is GEF in the Kura Aras Basin? resolveuid TDA 2013 - 15Oct13 FINAL - RUS

General information
GEF ID	1375
Project type	Full-Size Project
Status	closed (Project Completion)
Start Date	30 Jun 2009
End Date	27 Feb 2012

GEF characteristic:
Focal Area	International Waters
GEF Allocation to project	USD 2,900,000
Total Cost of the project:	USD 13,250,000

Results
YES - See results data (1375)

Partners
Countries Armenia , Azerbaijan , Georgia , Regional Lead implementing agency United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Executing agencies United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Project contacts
Mary M. Matthews Project Coordinator and Chief Technical Advisor Edgar Pirumyan Head of Department Rasim Sattarzada Head Herald Leummens Demonstration Project Coordinator Seth McNayr Project Assistant Vladimir Mamaev UNDP/GEF Regional Technical Advisor for International Waters for Europe, CIS and Arab States

Reducing Transboundary Degradation in the Kura-Aras Basin

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