Baku: Our country is highly dependent on transboundary rivers, and climate change is creating new challenges not only for our country but for the region as a whole, First Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ADSEA) Khayyam Mammadov said during a panel discussion titled 'Advantages and Challenges of Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems,' held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026 (BCAW 2026), APA reports.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Mammadov noted that fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea, the decline in the region's snow reserves, the reduction in the area and volume of glaciers, and changes in precipitation patterns are creating additional new pressures on the formation of water resources. He highlighted that in recent years, there has been an increase in the intensity of floods both in Baku and in other regions.
Mammadov emphasized that important strategic steps have been initiated to manage the floodwaters. At President Ilham Aliyev's initiative, the 'State Program for 2026-2035 on Improving Water Supply, Rainwater, and Wastewater Systems in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula' has been announced. This program includes the construction of 12 new sewerage collectors with a total length of 346 km, along with the repair and restoration of existing infrastructure and the separation of rainwater and wastewater systems.
Furthermore, construction and reconstruction work at the Sugovushan, Khachinchay, Zabukhchay, and Kondalanchay reservoir complexes located in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions, as well as the construction of the Yengija reservoir in Gabala district and the Alijanchay reservoir in the territories of Oghuz and Sheki districts, will play a significant role in combating floods and improving water supply in these areas.
In addition, construction on the Aghsuchay, Zayamchay, Hakarichay, and Bargushadchay reservoirs is ongoing for the efficient management of mountain river waters. Mammadov particularly emphasized that the water resources of the rivers in the East Zangezur and Karabakh Economic Regions, totaling 2.35 billion cubic meters, are equivalent to 24% of the country's internal water resources. Their utilization is crucial in addressing the water scarcity problem and combating floods in the country.