USAID/Armenia improves irrigation water access in Ararat Valley for 160 hectares of farmland and over 400 beneficiaries: On September 10, USAID/Armenia’s Advanced Science and Partnerships for Integrated Resource Development (ASPIRED) project launched a rehabilitated irrigation system for the community of Poqr Vedi in the Ararat Valley.  Due to deteriorated and outdated infrastructure, Poqr Vedi consistently lost about 40% of its irrigation water, hampering economic activity in this agricultural community.  ASPIRED and USAID/Armenia’s Participatory Utilization and Resource Efficiency of Water (PURE Water) projects partnered with the community, the Hayastan All Armenia Fund, and the Artashat Water Users Association to install 2,000 meters of pipes and repair the existing pump.  With these improvements, water losses have been substantially reduced, enabling previously idle lands to be cultivated and increasing the yield from existing fields.  This reduction in losses also translates into more than $27,000 a year in savings due to reduced energy consumption and enables more than 400 land users to address other pressing issues in the community.