Citizens feel the government's promises have had little impact
Originally published on Global Voices
Image by Arzu Geybullayeva
Azerbaijan's water scarcity problem has been cause for concern for many years now. However, despite state promises to address the problem, shortages remain due to a lack of proper water infrastructure, including wastewater treatment and management facilities, a lack of public awareness around water usage, and added resource strain from the climate crisis. There is also a lack of oversight of water management and distribution as a result of graft. This summer, the worsening water shortage highlighted that earlier government promises to find a solution have rung hollow.
The Kura and Araxes rivers are two of the country's most vital water sources providing 78 percent of the country's water supply. In 2013, the state opened the Caspian Sea Water Desalination Complex to desalinate water from the Caspian Sea in order to address water shortage issues.
Most recently, in March 2023, the government set up the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency (ASWRA) — a public body in charge of water policies and regulations. However, there are other state institutions involved in water management. Among them are the National Water Commission, established in 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Azerenergy Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC) and the Azercosmos OJSC under the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, and a number of others according to August 2024, World Bank Report.
Azerbaijan also has a Water Code, adopted in 1997 (and amended in December 2021), which “provides the legal basis for various aspects of water governance in the country.” The country is also working on creating a National Water Policy, according to the General Water Security Assessment report by the World Bank.
However, experts say that many of the existing measures are insufficient. Speaking to Azadliq Radio, economist Rovshan Agayev said although ASWRA comes with a great set of powers, including extraction, processing, transportation, and supply, the opposite should be done instead. Centralizing the entire amelioration and drinking water network in a single institution is unhelpful. Instead, the responsibilities should be divided among relevant state institutions. “The purchase of water and its transfer to farmers should be entrusted to the Ministry of Agriculture. The supply of drinking water to the population should be entrusted either to municipalities or to private investors on a certain basis,” explained Agayev in an April 2023 interview.
Meanwhile, as experts voice concerns over the state’s delayed measures in addressing the country’s water shortage problem, it is the local population — particularly village residents and farmers — who are paying a heavy price.
In August, Meydan TV reported water shortages in Azerbaijan's northern region of Zaqatala, likely caused as a result of outdated infrastructure. Residents complained to the news platform that despite their complaints, the access issues were not resolved. One resident told Meydan TV that the region's two largest villages have suffered from drought for years. “[the officials] tell us the water lines must be renewed. But we are not told who must be renewing these lines nor why the process is delayed,” complained the resident. According to a recent World Bank report, “most small towns and rural areas lack access to professionally operated services.”
Last year, residents of Saatli felt they were left with no choice but to stage protests over their water shortage problems after numerous attempts to reach officials and relevant state institutions failed. In response, the government did not address their complaints and water access issues but instead fired rubber bullets at the villagers to suppress their voices.
Residents of the capital, Baku, have also complained of water shortages this summer. In August, several districts in the capital remained without water for weeks. The shortage, as per official statements, was due to repair work on one of the main water pipes that brings water to the capital. Residents were not warned of the repair work, the water shutoff, or even told how long it would last.
According to a comment by the Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Umayra Taghiyeva, during the International Exhibition and Conference for Water Management, “Baku Water Week” in March 2024, “At present, the issue of water scarcity in our country is not as keenly felt by the urban population.” He issued this statement in March, ahead of the scorching summer heat, which has once again elevated the issue of water scarcity and access.
While outdated infrastructure may be one of the reasons behind scarcity in water access like the one experienced in Zaqatala, the management and lack of transparency over institutions in charge of water management, distribution, and policies drive water shortage problems in larger cities and across the country. Not to mention, the growing numbers of urban population as a result of internal migration. As per a recent study by Baku Research Center which indicates a significant spike in the country's urban population, just in the last two decades, the urban population percentage has moved up from 52.2 percent to 54.5 percent. The country's total population, as per the 2022 census, is 10.32 million.
Four years ago, President Ilham Aliyev promised to address the country’s growing water shortage problem at a government meeting. The president said at the time, “From now on, drinking water and irrigation projects will be on our agenda as the most important issues. The main goal of today’s meeting is to eliminate the mistakes and existing shortcomings in this area in the coming years.” The same year, the president signed an action plan to ensure the effective use of water resources from 2020–2022. Fast forward to the present day, and the problem — exacerbated by excessive agriculture, a large number of reservoirs, droughts, pollution, and chronic mismanagement — is far from being resolved.
