Several approaches to the solution of water contamination problems in transboundary rivers crossing the territory of Armenia

Transboundary water resources are of significant importance for all the EECCA countries. The break-up of the Soviet Union and other States has created new borders and new transboundary waters. The region has now about 150 major transboundary rivers that form or cross borders between two or more countries, some 25 major transboundary and international lakes and some 100 transboundary aquifers. Many catchments drain into closed seas or into landlocked lakes and pollution transported by rivers to seas and lakes has a major influence on these ecosystems. Many industrial enterprises are situated in the basins of the rivers, and there are major concerns related to the contamination of the fresh water ecosystems. The present paper describes the project "Monitoring of the probable sources and mechanisms of pollution with radionuclides, toxic and chemically dangerous elements of the rivers Kura and Araks with their inflows on the territory of Armenia" which is an important component of the International Program "Joint international studies of the Caspian river basins' pollution on the territories of Russia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia for the transboundary control".