Comparative Analysis of the Existing Water Code and the New Water Code from the Perspective of Indetification of Environmental Impacts and the Mitigation of Negative

The environmental impact assessment process (EIA) for projects, programs, concepts and the financial assistance was approved officially for the first time in 1969 by the law on national environmental policy accepted in the USA. The mentioned process was developed through the legal directive of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) in 1985, by which the minimum requirements to the EIA were established. In 1987 the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) accepted a document on objectives and principles of EIA. In 1991 twenty six nations of the UN/ECE signed the International Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, by which the signing parties had committed to create and apply national EIA processes for activities planned in their countries. In spite of the fact that the Republic of Armenia ratified the mentioned Convention in 1996, Armenia has already adopted the RA Law on " Environmental impact expertise " and a number of by-laws since 1995. The mentioned Law ratified the mandatory implementation of EIA process both for the planned economic, social and other activities (construction, reconstruction, expansion, technical reconstruction, liquidation) and concept papers (concept paper, project, complex scheme, general plan). Unfortunately, the Law does not intend EIA process for policies and laws, in spite of the fact that they, as well as concept papers, are ranked as strategic documents. At present, paying a due attention to the environmental impact of activity of strategic importance, UN ECE develops the Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) Protocol, the approval of which is planned in the meeting within the framework of " Environment for Europe " process by European countries' Ministers of Environment, to be held in 2003 in Kiev. In essence, the SEA process can be called " Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment " (SEIA). Carrying out SEIA process in the first stage of document development of strategic importance is aimed at provision of excluding or reducing to the extent possible their adverse impact on human health and environment. This SEIA report highlights the issues having impact on environment, particularly those regarding economic and social problems of water resources and water systems, comparative analysis of the existing Water Code and the presented new Draft, solutions provided in international treaties related to the mentioned issues, identification of environmental impacts, interpretation and proposal of mitigation measures. 4 ARD Inc., continuing the implementation of the USAID-financed Sustainable Water Resources Management Project, has provided technical assistance for the national Water …