Parliament Approves Bill Prohibiting Additional Water Extraction from Lake Sevan

The Parliament has approved in the first reading a bill authored by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Territorial Administration, Local Self-Government, Agriculture and Environmental Protection, Varazdat Karapetyan.

The bill proposes to eliminate the possibility of extracting water from Lake Sevan beyond the established annual limit of 170 million cubic meters.

The bill on amendments to the law on "Approval of Annual and Integrated Programs for the Restoration, Conservation, Reproduction, and Use of the Ecosystem of Lake Sevan" received 73 votes in favor, 8 against, and 37 abstentions during the session of the National Assembly on October 24.

Currently, the maximum water extraction set by the law is 170 million cubic meters from the lake. However, since the amendment to the law on Lake Sevan in 2012, the government has approached the Parliament almost every year with proposals for additional water extraction, allowing up to 350 million cubic meters to be taken.

The deputy suggests that the 170 million cubic meters should be the upper limit, and any proposals for additional water extraction should not be presented to the Parliament by the government.

Karapetyan emphasized that Lake Sevan should not be viewed solely as a water resource.

Before the vote, Lilit Makunts, the leader of the