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3.2       Water stress conditions

Comparing water availability to demand is another strong indicator to identify the level of water stress caused by man-made factors. Overall, water stress occurs when demand for water exceeds a certain level of water availability: above 20 % indicates moderate water stress, whereas 40 % and above indicates severe water scarcity conditions and unsustainable water resources management (Raskin et al., 1997). Changes in natural conditions such as decreasing precipitation or increasing evapotranspiration may negatively influence the availability of renewable freshwater resources. Similarly, man-made factors such as changing land cover/land use or increasing water demand might also increase the water stress level. The water exploitation index (WEI) is applied as a strong measure of the level of water stress. The WEI or withdrawal ratio is defined as the annual total abstraction of fresh water divided by the annual freshwater resources.

The application of the WEI indicates that Armenia and Azerbaijan have been experiencing severe water scarcity conditions (Figure 4).