IOM Azerbaijan organized a two-day international conference entitled “The Kahriz as an architectural monument, sustainable source of water and factor of social and economic development”

Representatives of a number of ministries (Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and government agencies (State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Melioration and Water Resources OJSC, Azersu OJSC, State Oil Company), UN agencies, embassies, donor and partner organizations, education and civil society organizations, the executive authorities from the project areas, community members, project engineers, and kahriz masters participated in the event.

In their opening remarks, Mr Vladimir Gjorgjiev, Chief of IOM Azerbaijan, Mr Moon Jong Hyun, Country Director of KOICA, and Mr Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chief of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs welcomed the participants and spoke about the importance of the project of kahriz rehabilitation for people.

In his opening remarks, Mr Vladimir Gjorgjiev noted that the selection of the kahriz rehabilitation project as a national winner of the Global Energy Award in 2021, the most prestigious environmental award, shows the significance and importance of this project for people and environmental sustainability.

“We will continue to rehabilitate kahrizes, which are considered the most sustainable source of water, not only for the benefit of Azerbaijan, but also for the benefit of humanity,” said Mr Gjorgjiev.

In his speech, Mr Moon Jong Hyun, Country Director of the KOICA, noted that the project, currently funded by the Agency and aimed at rehabilitating kahrizes, is their second kahriz project implemented in the country and he expressed satisfaction with the support of projects to address water shortages in Azerbaijan.

Mr Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chief of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, praised the work of UN agencies, as well as the IOM on refugees and internally displaced persons. According to him, the IOM has so far implemented 10 projects in Azerbaijan to rehabilitate of kahrizes. Speaking about the importance of the current project, Huseynov noted that it will improve living conditions and water supply in IDP communities.

After the opening speeches, the presentations of local and international experts on the history of kahrizes, their current condition and fate, IOM experience in the field of kahriz rehabilitation, new technologies applied for the first time in kahriz rehabilitation, the Atlas of Kahriz in Azerbaijan, the National Master Plan on Kahrizes, the Kahriz Information and Research Center, and the Kahriz Engineering course at the ASAU, the speeches of the kankans and community members and other topics were heard.

During the conference, a film about the work done within the kahriz rehabilitation project which became a national winner of the Global Energy Award in 2021, the most prestigious environmental award, was shown, and an exhibition of photos, printed books, and resources reflecting the activities of the project was viewed.

At the end of the conference the participants visited the kahrizes located in the Icheri Sheher of Baku city.

The Kahriz rehabilitation project is one of the most crucial and timely activity undertaken by the IOM in Azerbaijan. The Mission has been rehabilitating kahrizes in Azerbaijan since 1998. Since that time 166 kahrizes in different regions of Azerbaijan were rehabilitated within various projects. Building upon IOM’s successful past experiences and unique expertise, the mission currently is implementing the four-year project with the financial support of KOICA to provide safe and consistent water supplies for peoples in regions through the renovation of kahrizes, a traditional, sustainable water supply system. As previous ones the current project also continues to implement a community-driven approach, paying specific attention to cross-cutting issues such as gender, governance, and environmental sustainability.

The project implemented by IOM Azerbaijan contributes to Azerbaijan’s efforts to fulfill three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through the provision of water for domestic and agricultural needs which has a direct impact on poverty reduction and food security (SDG 1), empowering and involving women into the decision-making process, increasing their role in the community in terms of leadership (SDG 5), and the rehabilitation of eco-friendly and sustainable water supply systems, kahrizes and enhanced access to safe drinking water (SDG 6).