Speaking at a meeting dedicated to the State Program for the Improvement of Water Supply, Wastewater, and Stormwater Systems in Baku City and the Absheron Peninsula, President Ilham Aliyev commented on the projects implemented in our country in this field, as well as global issues. "Especially against the backdrop of global climate change, water supply is becoming a particular challenge worldwide."
The editorial office reports that these were the views expressed by Member of Parliament Vugar Bayramov.
The MP noted that despite 71 percent of the Earth's surface being covered by water, only 2.5 percent of it is freshwater. And only 0.3 percent of all water resources are easily accessible to humans:
"According to UN assessments, 2.2 billion people currently face difficulties with uninterrupted water supply, and 703 million residents experience serious problems with water accessibility. Every day, more than 1,000 children under the age of 5 die from diseases related to lack of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. Due to the increase in water use in the food industry, global demand for water is expected to increase by 40 percent by 2030. This indicates that global challenges in meeting water demand will intensify in the coming years.
Against the backdrop of global water supply challenges, 70 percent of the population in Azerbaijan is provided with uninterrupted drinking water. As noted by the President of Azerbaijan, one of the current problems is related to losses. The loss rate in our country is close to 45 percent.
The lowest water losses are recorded in developed countries. For example, the lowest water loss is in the Netherlands: only 4 percent. This figure is 6 percent in Denmark, 7 percent in Japan, 8 percent in Australia and Germany, and 9 percent in Israel. The highest water losses are recorded in India, Algeria, and Mexico: 50 percent.
It is evident that by reducing the level of losses, it is possible to significantly improve water supply in Azerbaijan. As noted at the meeting, the implementation of the state program is expected to reduce the water loss rate. This will lead to significant progress in water supply."