Law No. HO-96-N “On the fundamental provisions of the national water policy”. País/Territorio Armenia Tipo de documento Legislación Fecha 2005 (2022) Fuente FAO, FAOLEX Materia Agua Palabra clave Legislación básica Política/planificación Aguas superficiales Manejo de recursos hídricos Contaminación de las aguas dulces Captación de agua Abastecimiento de agua Escasez de agua/sequía Derechos de agua Normas sobre calidad del agua Cánon de aguas Principio contaminador-pagador Instalaciones Acceso-a-la-información Control de la contaminación Inventarios Prioridades Área geográphica Asia, CEI (Comunidad de Estados Independientes), Europa, Europa y Central Asia, Naciones en desarrollo sin litoral, Asia Occidental Entry into force notes This Law enters into force on 15 September 2005. Resumen This Law defines the priority principle of water use and, in the process of assessment of demand for water, attributes priority to the issues of environmental protection as an integral part of ecosystem. The scope of this Law shall be to ensure access to adequate quantity and quality of water resources with a view of ensuring human well-being for the development of the country’s socio-economic system in order to meet economic and environmental needs in the present and in the future. This Law defines the following fundamental principles of the national water policy: (a) sustainable water resources management; (b) priorities for the use and protection of water resources; (c) accounting and assessment of water resources; (d) formation of water resources supply and demand; and (e) relations pertaining to water basin management. The objectives of this Law shall be as follows: (a) ensure access to water resources, preliminary water resources availability assessment, defining National Water Reserve characteristics; (b) establish water resources priorities; and (c) introduce water basin management principles, including Water Basin Management planning. The national water policy implements the following principles: (a) provision of the basic vital needs of the population; (b) supply of water resources (quantity and quality) to meet the needs of present and future generations; (c) ensuring the required quantity and the required quality of water demand for the population to meet the household needs; (d) ensuring access to the required quantity and quality of water required to meet the basic needs of the socially vulnerable groups of the population; (e) ensuring efficient water use by the population, developing and applying economic and financial mechanisms for promoting efficient water use; (f) the application of the "proposal to formulate demand" principle; (g) based on demand, the formation of water resource management issues (including reservoir development); (h) elaborating and applying a differentiated and flexible tariff policy in the interest of the country's development; (i) protection and restoration of Lake Sevan as a social, economic, environmental and cultural heritage; (j) development and implementation of step-by-step measures to reduce the pollution of water resources, proceeding from the significance of the water basin; (k) ensuring environmental sustainability; (l) application of the "polluter pays" and the "user pays" mechanism; (m) development of human and technological capacities in the spheres of protection, management and use of water resources; (n) provision of appropriate financial basis for the implementation of activities that support the sustainable management of water resources through the utilization of the amounts originating from the collection of water resources and treatment of water pollutants and discharges of harmful substances and compounds, and the solution of environmental problems in the area; (o) keeping of state water register; (p) ensuring the fulfillment of internationally accepted commitments and co-operation in transboundary water resources management; and (q) ensuring access to information in the national water policy as prescribed by law. Water resources management shall be based on the following principles: (a) scientific substantiation; (b) price and tariff regulation; (c) application of risk management; (d) water management ensuring complex assessment of environmental, cultural, social and economic aspects; (e) accumulation and transfer of free flow of water by construction of artificial reservoirs and dams; (f) provision of stable twenty-four-hour water supply of quality meeting the requirements and standards established by acting national legislation; (g) transparency and participatory governance of water resources; and (h) transboundary water resources management. This Law consists of 6 Chapters. Chapter 1 lays down general provisions. Chapter 2 regards water resources assessment and water project description. Chapter 3 regards demand for water resources. Chapter 4 sets priorities for water protection and use. Chapter 5 deals with water management. Chapter 6 lays down final provisions. Article 9 establishes that the assessment of water resources is carried out in the form of a complete inventory of the quality, quantity, form, distribution of water resources and according to the status of water bodies, in accordance with the requirements of the Water Code of the Republic of Armenia and legal acts arising from it. Reassessment of water resources is carried out regularly, at least every 6 years. The full or partial assessment of water resources can be carried out also at the request of the Government of the Republic of Armenia or, accordingly, of the water user, in accordance with the procedure established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia. The mechanisms for assessing water resources are established by the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Article 13 sets forth priorities of use and conservation of water resources. Article 14 establishes that in case of emergency situations related to changes in the quantity and/or quality of water resources, water users are provided with lower but still acceptable quality of water resources from alternative sources. Texto completo Armenio Página web www.arlis.am