Yesterday, a consultation chaired by President Ilham Aliyev, dedicated to the State Program for improving water supply, sewage, and rainwater systems in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, revealed the work done to date as well as new objectives. As stated by President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has built four large reservoirs with a potential capacity of over 500 million cubic meters in the last 20 years. This is because Azerbaijan approaches water not only as a technical issue but also as a matter of management, economy, ecology, and social responsibility.
Member of Parliament Konul Nurullayeva said this in a statement to the Editorial Office.
She noted that states are currently developing comprehensive strategies to address water problems. This is because it is incorrect to view the water issue solely as a climate or ecological problem. At a time when 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water, water is becoming a key factor in security and interstate relations. "Considering that by 2050, an additional one billion people will face extreme water scarcity due to climate change and population growth, delays in this area mean economic crisis, migration, and regional tensions. Azerbaijan also adopts a complex, long-term, and coordinated approach to this issue. Since our country has the lowest indicator of water resources distribution in the South Caucasus, the state is taking important steps to resolve this strategic problem. The main goals of the 'National Strategy for the Efficient Use of Water Resources' are to ensure the water security of the population. At the same time, the great victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War has had a positive impact on resolving the water issue. It is known that about a quarter of Azerbaijan's water sources are formed in territories that were once occupied. Even during the 30-year occupation, Armenia used the 'Sugovushan' and 'Sarsang' reservoirs as a tool of pressure against our country. As President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly stated, this was open terror against our country. After Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity, the threat of pressure related to water was eliminated, and reservoirs in our liberated territories have been restored and new ones have been built," K. Nurullayeva emphasized.
The deputy added that at a time when concern about climate change prevails globally, Azerbaijan's water security issue is being systematically resolved. The goal is to provide sustainable water to the population, industry, and agriculture, protect water sources, and increase their potential. The main objective of the 'State Program for 2026-2035 for improving water supply, rainwater, and sewage systems in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula,' prepared at the instruction of the head of state, is also to provide Baku and the Absheron Peninsula with sustainable drinking water. It is no coincidence that as a result of the program's implementation, about 30 new reservoirs will be built, and the number of people supplied with uninterrupted drinking water will reach 95 percent. The water supply to Baku, Sumgayit, the Absheron district, and 64 settlements will be significantly improved. At the same time, more than 200 kilometers of main canals and distribution networks will be built. This program is of strategic importance for the country's sustainable development, security, and social welfare.