Armenia plans construction of three new reservoirs by end of 2026

(Horizon Media / YEREVAN)—Armenia plans to begin construction on three new reservoirs before the end of 2026, while another 15 reservoir projects remain at various stages of preparation and development.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan announced that designs have been completed for the Kasakh, Lichk and Yelpin reservoirs. The Kasakh Reservoir will have a capacity of 10 million cubic metres, while the Lichk Reservoir in Syunik will hold four million cubic metres and the Yelpin Reservoir one million cubic metres.

The government is coordinating the necessary procedures with the financing agency and plans to launch a tender to select construction companies. Work on the three reservoirs is expected to begin by the end of the year.

Plans have also been agreed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the construction of the Artik and Astghadzor reservoirs, each with a projected capacity of 1.5 million cubic metres. Financing procedures are also being coordinated for the proposed Mastara Reservoir.

Preparatory work is underway for another 12 reservoirs. Once technical assessments are completed, the government will examine options for securing the necessary investment.

Meanwhile, construction of the Vedi Reservoir is nearing completion. The facility, which has a total design capacity of 30 million cubic metres, currently holds approximately 12.5 million cubic metres of water.

The reservoir’s filling, spillway and emergency spillway systems have already undergone testing. It is expected to hold about 20 million cubic metres of water in 2027 and reach full capacity by the end of that year. Officials said the reservoir is not yet being filled completely because water continues to be diverted for agricultural use during the peak irrigation season.