On March 12, 2010 the Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia (MCA-Armenia) signed a contract on rehabilitation of Ararat valley drainage system. The contract was awarded to the consortium of SADE (France), Blesk (Russia) and Artezia (Armenia) as a subcontractor, with the total price of USD 8.08 million. The contract is in addition to the first package of works (USD 7 million) aimed at rehabilitation of the Ararat Valley drainage system, awarded in 2009 to the Armenian company “Sahakyanshin”.
The rehabilitation of the drainage system will reduce ground water levels in 35 beneficiary communities of Ararat and Armavir marzes, improving social conditions in communities and promoting development of agriculture. Works include cleaning and deepening of collector, secondary and tertiary drains, improvement of drainage system by constructing 3 big culverts and numerous small structures, removal of blockages in the drains and provision of substitute measures to provide irrigation water, rehabilitation of a number of artesian wells, limited amount of work on sub-surface drainage within 3 sub-regions – south-eastern, central and northwestern parts of Ararat Valley, while maintaining an optimally balanced ecosystem in the wetlands.
Ararat Valley is the biggest agricultural zone in Armenia and provides around 30 per cent of the agricultural GDP of the country. Over the last decades water-logging and mineralization decreased agricultural productivity levels. The rehabilitation will help to increase crop productivity in the drainage area, better regulate groundwater levels and reduce water-logging within settlements.
MCC’s total investment into the agricultural and water sector in Armenia, through the MCA-Armenia program, will amount to about USD180 million by September 2011.
Millennium Challenge Account–Armenia is a atate non-commercial organization established by the government of Armenia.
