A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the National Environmental Agency of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center of the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Armenia
Hydrometeorology
The Head of the National Environmental Agency, Elene Gubianuri, and the Director of Armenia’s Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, Levon Azizyan, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of monitoring and information exchange in the Khrami-Debeda transboundary river basin. The signing ceremony took place in Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia.
During the meeting held within the framework of the working visit, the parties presented presentations on their activities and, through joint efforts, discussed capacity-building and data-sharing issues.
At the meeting, it was noted that the cooperation envisions joint monitoring of selected water bodies (both surface and groundwater) in the Khrami-Debeda river basin, as well as information exchange and the preparation of status reports, on the basis of which the parties will carry out monitoring and exchange of information.
“The Memorandum is based on years of cooperation between our countries, consultations, joint fieldwork, and progress achieved in harmonizing monitoring standards, supported by the EUWI Plus and EU4Environment – Water Resources and Environmental Data programs. The Khrami-Debeda river basin is a vital shared resource for Georgia and Armenia, providing water for ecosystems, agriculture, energy, and local populations. With this Memorandum, we are creating a clear institutional framework for joint monitoring, data exchange and reporting on both surface and groundwater resources,” stated the Head of the National Environmental Agency, Elene Gubianuri.
According to the Director of Armenia’s Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, Levon Azizyan, the Armenian-Georgian joint monitoring program will contribute harmonize monitoring networks, field measurements, and laboratory testing methodologies between the two countries, and will improve the technical formats for data comparison and the periodicity of data exchange.
“Joint monitoring by our countries in the Khrami-Debeda basin has a long history of successful cooperation, initiated within EU-supported programs. By signing this Memorandum, we are institutionalizing this long-term cooperation by establishing a stable, long-term, and mutually reliable database, ensuring comprehensive and ecosystem-based management of the basin’s water resources,” noted Levon Azizyan.
During the working visit to the Republic of Armenia, Head of the National Environmental Agency Elene Gubianuri was accompanied by the Agency’s Deputy Head, Irakli Megrelidze; the Deputy Head of the Environmental and Climate Change Policy Department of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Maia Javakhishvili; and the heads of the Agency’s sectoral departments of meteorology, geology, and environmental pollution monitoring.
