Meeting held on State Program for improvement of water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems in Baku and Absheron Peninsula
Meeting held on State Program for improvement of water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems in Baku and Absheron Peninsula
On January 12, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev presided over a meeting dedicated to the State Program for the improvement of water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula for 2026-2035, Olaylar informs.
The head of state delivered a speech at the meeting.
Speech by President Ilham Aliyev
- Today we will discuss the issues related to resolving the water problems of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. This is an issue that holds a special place among the infrastructure projects we are implementing. As you may know, large-scale infrastructure projects have been implemented in our country in recent years, both in Baku and in all regions. Almost all of the key infrastructure problems have been resolved. Several regional development programs have been adopted over the past twenty years. Each program covered a five-year period, and all of the programs have been successfully implemented. As a result, we have resolved the main infrastructure problems. First and foremost, electricity supply now covers the entire country. We have entered a completely new stage. I recently touched upon this issue at the opening of a new wind power plant. Our energy generation capacity exceeds our needs. We are even exporting electricity. There was a time when there were serious problems in this area and an energy shortage. We even had to import electricity from abroad. Today, as a result of the measures we have taken, new generation capacity has been put in place - it currently stands at 10,000 megawatts. At the same time, substations, transmission lines, and the distribution network - all these elements - have been integrated into a single system. Most of the shortcomings in this area have been eliminated. Today, we are thinking not only about our own energy needs - we can consider that this issue has been resolved - but also about export routes. And not just thinking: we are creating them. In a few years, Azerbaijan will be exporting electricity to world markets at the same level as it is currently exporting oil and gas and contributing to the energy security of a number of countries. I should note that serious negotiations are currently underway with neighboring states and with our own companies, as well as companies from neighboring countries, to achieve this.
We have largely resolved the issues of gas supply. Today, gas supply in our country has reached 96 percent. By this, I mean the population, not settlements. Today, 96 percent of the population is supplied with natural gas. This is an issue that occupies a special place among the infrastructure projects we have carried out over the past 20 years. In the past, our gas supply was not sufficient to meet domestic demand. We also imported gas from abroad and faced great difficulties. Today, more than 10 countries in the world - and the number of these countries is increasing every year, with new countries to be added to this list this year - are purchasing Azerbaijani natural gas and enhancing their energy security.
The construction of highways has gained momentum. Highways, rural roads, and intercity roads - these projects are ongoing today. Currently, all the infrastructure projects I mentioned are underway in the liberated territories. Electricity generation capacities, transmission lines, roads, bridges, tunnels, water supply, and gas supply - in general, the territories that remained under occupation for many years are now reviving, coming back to life, and being connected to a single infrastructure network.
Drinking water and irrigation projects have always been in the spotlight as well. The people of Azerbaijan remember quite well that this was one of the biggest concerns in the past. These issues have also gradually been resolved. Today, drinking water and sewage projects have been implemented in most of our cities, and this process is still ongoing.
We have built four large reservoirs over the past 20 years, with a total capacity of more than 500 million cubic meters. Among them, I should specifically mention the Takhtakorpu and Shamkirchay reservoirs. If these reservoirs had not been built, the water supply of Baku and the western region could be facing major problems today. The Takhtakorpu reservoir allowed us to collect the waters of the Samur River into the Jeyranbatan reservoir and stockpile a reserve there. This also included a complete overhaul of the Jeyranbatan reservoir. A cutting-edge complex of treatment facilities has been built.
Today, we are implementing drinking water and irrigation projects in the liberated territories. Several important projects have been completed over the past five years. Reservoirs that were once destroyed and incapacitated by Armenia have now been overhauled. Among them, I should first mention the Sarsang water reservoir. This is one of the largest reservoirs not only in the liberated territories but also in our country as a whole. During the occupation of our lands, the Armenian state carried out water terror against us. The blocking of the waters of the Sarsang and Sugovushan reservoirs, as well as the use of water as a weapon, caused major problems. Water was cut off during months when it was needed and then released, causing major floods. In other words, the state of Armenia was carrying out water terror. Today, the Sugovushan and Sarsang reservoirs have been completely rebuilt. In other liberated areas, the Kondalanchay and three reservoirs in Fuzuli district, as well as the Khachinchay reservoir in Aghdam district, have been rebuilt. The Zabukhchay reservoir, which was completely rebuilt in Lachin district, is already in operation. The construction of two more large reservoirs in the liberated territories - the Hakarichay and Bargushadchay reservoirs - is also on the agenda, and preparatory work is already underway. We will probably start tangible work there this year.
Water sources are very important for every country. Approximately a quarter of our internal water sources come from territories that were once under occupation. The advantage of these water sources is that most of them are formed on the territory of Azerbaijan. In other words, dependence on other countries has significantly decreased as a result of the return of our territories. Azerbaijan"s other important water sources are formed abroad - the Kura River, the Araz River, and the Samur River. While paying attention to this area, we should also take into account this sensitive issue.
Today, there are serious concerns worldwide about climate change. Many countries are already sustaining serious damage as a result. All issues related to our water security are being addressed in a systematic manner. As I noted, over the past 20 years, the projects I have listed alone - although much more is being done now - show that if these steps had not been taken in a timely manner, issues related to water security could have created very serious problems for us today. Our goal is to provide the population, industry, and agriculture with sustainable water, protect water sources, increase reservoir capacity, establish full accounting, and collect water when the season comes so that it can be used throughout the year.
Unfortunately, the drinking water problems of Baku and the Absheron Peninsula have been serious for many years. Some work has been done in this direction; however, I believe the time has come to adopt a large-scale and comprehensive state program. This program will cover the city of Baku, its settlements, the city of Sumgayit, and Absheron district. The preparation process began some time ago on my instructions, and the program is now almost ready. We will discuss it today, review the work already done, and determine what more needs to be done.
As mentioned, the primary goal of this program is to provide Baku and the Absheron Peninsula with sustainable drinking water. The program must be implemented by 2035, which in itself shows how large-scale it is, as time is needed to implement it in full. Financial sources for its implementation have been identified. It will be financed from two sources: the state budget and foreign loans. The reforms carried out in this sector in recent years have significantly reduced our foreign debt. Today, Azerbaijan is one of the world"s leading countries in terms of the ratio of foreign debt to GDP, which stands at just over 6 percent. This allows us to apply for additional foreign loans, especially considering that leading international financial institutions are approaching us themselves.
We could also implement this program using domestic funds. However, the country faces many challenges, including the restoration of Garabagh and East Zangezur, strengthening military capacity, and implementing other projects and social initiatives. Therefore, we will use two sources of financing. As a result of the program"s implementation, around 30 new reservoirs will be built. These are major, large-scale infrastructure projects. Meter installation should reach 100 percent. Currently, 70 percent of the population is provided with uninterrupted drinking water; this figure is expected to rise to 95 percent. The water supply of Baku, Sumgayit, Absheron district, and 64 settlements will be significantly improved. More than 200 kilometers of main canals and the same length of distribution networks will be built and reconstructed.
One of the main problems we face today is water loss. If losses were at a low level, even the water reserves available to us could be sufficient. However, we must plan and calculate for the future. After all, the population is growing, our industry is growing, and, of course, so is demand. Therefore, a sharp reduction in losses is one of the top priorities. Today, losses in this area account for approximately 40-45 percent. As mentioned, as a result of the implementation of the program, this figure should be sharply reduced.
Currently, only 50 percent of the population has access to sewage services. As a result of the implementation of the program, this figure should increase to 95 percent. As soon as heavy rains fall, urban transport becomes paralyzed, and very serious problems arise. This is not only the case in Baku or Azerbaijan-we see it on television everywhere in the world. Floods have become commonplace even in the cities of the most developed countries. No city infrastructure can handle several days of heavy and incessant rain. However, despite this, we still have quite a few weaknesses in this area. Therefore, a new collector network will be built on 30 streets of Baku for rainwater management, which will be of great benefit.
Water discharged into the sea must be purified 100 percent. This is one of the key factors contributing to pollution of the Caspian Sea. Accordingly, additional measures will be taken. Modernization and expansion of the Hovsan water treatment plant are also on the agenda.
A digital management system should be applied to the water sector. I have already shared information on this. I would also like to reiterate that a desalination plant will be built in Azerbaijan for the first time to improve the water supply of the Absheron Peninsula. This process has already begun. The project will be implemented entirely through foreign investment. It will increase the volume of water supplied to Baku and Absheron. Technological advances make this feasible, as the Caspian Sea is not highly saline. There is full confidence that desalination will provide clean, high-quality drinking water. At the same time, a large resource base for irrigation will be created.
The Samur-Absheron water canal: we have rebuilt this canal. It is a completely concrete canal, and the losses there are quite small. However, measures are still on the agenda to further develop the infrastructure of this canal to ensure that the Jeyranbatan reservoir has a sustainable water supply. Today, water enters Baku from five sources. The sixth source will be a desalination plant, and, of course, this flow must be fully ensured.
I should also note that one of the projects we have implemented over the past 20 years is the fully reconstructed Oghuz-Gabala-Baku water line. If this water line had not been built, Baku would be facing very serious water shortages today.
As I mentioned, the program is very broad and quite specific. All tasks have been set, and oversight will be exercised by both the Government and the Presidential Administration. Public oversight, of course, must definitely be ensured as well. The implementation of this program must be extensively covered in the media so that the people of Azerbaijan, especially those living in Baku and Absheron, can see and know when each issue is being resolved. There should be no delays, because, let me reiterate, the program is intended to cover the period until 2035. We thought it could be implemented even faster, but in order not to rush and to organize all the work with quality, we decided that it is a program of about 10 years, which means there is enough time, but there should not be a single day of delay.