C4 – Household water use per capita in the Republic of Armenia
Key messages
An average Armenian citizen used 40,8 m3 of water from renewable freshwater resources in 2021 compared with 48 m3 in 2000.
Since 2009, there has been an increasing trend both in the total water supply to households and in water use per capita, due to the expansion of the public water supply system to rural areas. Today, 95.5 % of the population of Armenia is connected to the public water supply system.
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Figure 1 - Development of total freshwater use by households in the Republic of Armenia (2000-2021)
Data sources:
(C4) Household water use per capita by indicators and years, Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ArmStatBank)
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Figure 2 - Development of household water use per capita in the Republic of Armenia (2000-2022)
Data sources:
(C4) Household water use per capita by indicators and years , Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ArmStatBank)
Armenia is not a water-scarce country. On average (2000-2022), the annual renewable freshwater resource is around 6315.4 mil m3, corresponding to 2058.7 m3/per capita per year. The annual water exploitation index (WEI) on average is higher than 46.3 %. Water supplied to households is mainly used for drinking and cooking and for hygiene.
In 2022, the total freshwater use by all sectors was around 2422.3 mil. m3, of which 120.9 million m3 was water supplied by the water supply industry (5.5 %) to households.
Annual consumption of drinking water has decreased in recent years from 2000 to 2009 and then increased due to the expansion of the state water supply network in rural areas, improved accounting. By means of that improvement, the total water supplied to households by the water supply industry increased to 132.5 mil. m3 in 2022. Over the same time, the population has decreased by 8․2
Although the demand for drinking water in Armenia is mainly met by underground water resources, transit water losses remain high.
According to the UNECE environmental performance assessment, during the 2000s, around 80 % of the pipes were more than 10 years old and 55 % were more than 20 years old. Their maintenance had been neglected. The number of breakdowns was increasing regularly. However, since 2009, as a result of the implementation of the water management strategy of the Armenian government, the share of population connected to the water supply network has increased to 95.5 % of the total, with more focus being given to the rural areas.
Indicator definition
The quantity of water used to cover the household and related utility needs of the population through the water supply industry and self-supply.
Units
Volumes of water used by households in total are measured in million cubic meters and per capita in cubic meter.
Rationale
Justification for indicator selection
The indicator is important for defining the level of development of the water economy services and the degree of water accessibility to cover all of the household needs of the population. The indicator also helps to identify trends in household water use in a particular country.
Scientific references
Progressive Development Strategic Programme of the Republic of Armenia for 2014-2025. Government of the Republic of Armenia, 2014. Decision no. 442-N
Howard, Guy, Bartram, Jamie & World Health Organization. Water, Sanitation and Health Team. (2003). Domestic water quantity, service level and health / Guy Howard and Jamie Bartram. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/67884.
Environmental Performance Reviews - Armenia. Economic Commission for Europe, Committee on Environmental Policy, United Nations, New York and Geneva, 2000.
UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C4: Household water use per capita.
UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C4: Household water use per capita.
Context description
National policy context
The law of the Republic of Armenia on the fundamentals of the national water policy is aimed at meeting the basic needs of the population, ensuring the maintenance and utilisation of renewable water resources and the quantity needed to reduce and prevent diseases due to water shortages and to maintain the aquatic ecosystems. In that context, the overall target is to satisfy the population’s everyday cultural and household water demands.
The progressive development of the strategic programme of the Republic of Armenia for 2014-2025 aims to increase the reliability and efficiency of the operation of the drinking water supply and sewage systems, reduce water losses and improve the quality of water and wastewater services.
International policy context
The UN SDG 6 of the Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030 is to ‘ensure access to water and sanitation for all’. Target 6.1 of SDG 6 aims ‘by 2030, to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all’. Similarly, target 6.2 aims to, ‘by 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
Targets
No specific target has been identified.
Related policy documents
Progressive Development Strategic Programme of the Republic of Armenia for 2014-2025. Government of the Republic of Armenia, 2014. Decision no. 442-N
Republic of the Armenia Water Code (adopted on 4 June 2002)
Republic of Armenia Law on the National Water Programme (adopted on 27 November 2006)
Republic of Armenia Law on Fundamentals of the National Water Policy (adopted on 3 May 2005)
Sustainable Development Goals. UN (2016). Sustainable development goals, the sustainable development agenda.
Methodology for indicator calculation
Note: Total water use per capita = total water use by households (water supplied to households by water supply industry + water use in the country (self-supply)/total population.
Units and equations
| ID | Component | Units | Equation |
| C4.1 | Water supplied to households by water supply industry | million m3/year | |
| C4.2 | Population connected to water supply industry (estimation) | million persons | |
| C4.3 | Water use per capita (water supply industry) | m3/capita/year | = C 4.1/C 4.2 |
| C4.4 | Population not connected to water supply industry (self-supply; estimation) | million persons | = C 4.8 - C 4.2 |
| C4.5 | Estimated water use by households supplied by self-supply per capita | m3/capita/year | |
| C4.6 | Water use in the country (self-supply) | million m3/year | = C 4.4 X C 4.5 |
| C4.7 | Total water use by households | million m3/year | =C 4.1 + C 4.6 |
| C4.8 | Total population | million persons | |
| C4.9 | Total household water use (water supply industry and self-supply) per capita | m3/capita/year | =C 4.7/C 4.8 |
Methodology for gap filling
No gap filling has been performed
Methodology references
EEA core set of indicators, Guide․ EEA Technical report No 1/2005, ISSN 1725-2237․
UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Data template – C4: Household water use per capita.
UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C4: Household water use per capita.
UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C4: Household water use per capita.
UNSD and UNEP, 2013. Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme, Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics, Section Water.
Methodology uncertainty
No uncertainty has been specified
Data sets uncertainty
No uncertainty has been specified.
Rationale uncertainty
No uncertainty has been specified.
(C4) Household water use per capita by indicators and years , Statistical Committee of the Republic of Armenia (Armstat)
Metadata
Topics: water
Indicator code: C4
Tags: water use, water use per capita, Armenia
Temporal coverage: 2000-2022
DPSIR: pressure
Typology: descriptive indicator (type A – what is happening to the environment and to humans?)
Dates:
Publication date: last modified 26/06/2024
Frequency of updates: every year
Contact and ownership
Contact: Naira Mandalyan, Gohar Harutyunyan, Ruzanna Safaryan
Ownership:
Short-term work
Improve data on self-supply water use
Long-term work
No long-term work has been specified