Azernews.Az

By Trend

The Azerbaijani leadership always focuses on the issue of water supply because water resources must be used carefully and efficiently, Dilgam Sharifov, representative of Azerbaijan's Land Reclamation and Water Management OJSC told Trend on June 18.

“This problem [of water shortage] is relevant worldwide due to the current global warming,” the representative of the company added.

“According to the UN estimates, water resources will reduce by 23 percent in 2050 compared to 2001,” Sharifov added. “Of course, this trend has an impact on our country and its climate. In this regard, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on additional measures to ensure the efficient use of water resources.”

“In accordance with the order, a commission was created under the chairmanship of Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev to ensure efficient use of water resources in the country, improve water management and coordinate activity in this sphere," the representative said.

“The company has developed and submitted two state programs to the commission as part of the execution of the order,” Sharifov said. “The first state program envisages the development of the company from 2020 through 2030 while the second state program outlines preliminary measures for the effective use of irrigation water and the measures against its loss.”

"These measures are aimed at achieving the following goals until 2030: to continue bilateral cooperation with Russia, Iran and Georgia on the joint management of transboundary water resources and facilities, and cooperation with Iran on the construction and joint operation of the Khudaferin and Giz Galasi hydro-junctions and hydropower plants built on Araz river,” the representative of the company added.

“These measures also imply achieving the use of modern equipment and technologies at 60 percent of irrigated fields to efficiently use water for irrigation and combat its loss," he said.

"Other goals are aimed to begin construction of 16 reservoirs with a total capacity of one billion cubic meters of water, to collect 124 million cubic meters of water by completing the construction of two reservoirs and to create big farms and agricultural parks by using advanced irrigation equipment and technologies," Sharifov added.

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