Azerbaijan's water reserves sufficient but not long-term, says agency official

Azerbaijan is not facing water scarcity at the moment, but existing reserves are insufficient to meet long-term needs, said Riad Akhundzada, head of the Strategy, International Cooperation and Science Department at the Azerbaijan State Water Resources Agency, Report informs.

Speaking at a roundtable titled "Water Security in Azerbaijan: Regulation, Risks and Responsible Business Actions," he stated that the country's reservoirs currently hold approximately 16–17 billion cubic meters of water, while annual consumption stands at 11–12 billion cubic meters.

"This means we have slightly more than a year's worth of water reserves. However, this is not sufficient," Akhundzada said.

He also highlighted significant water losses during distribution due to outdated infrastructure. Improving the efficient management of water resources and reducing losses remain priority areas, he added.