Azerbaijan’s climate envoy calls for more efficient use of water

Azerbaijan’s Presidential Representative for Climate Affairs and COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev has called for more efficient use of water resources.

Speaking at a roundtable held as part of Baku Climate Action Week 2026, he particularly stressed that climate change adaptation must not be separated from water resource management, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

“We must improve the efficient use of water and reservoirs, develop sustainable infrastructure, and strengthen monitoring and early warning systems,” Babayev noted.

He outlined that climate change is making water resource management even more challenging and urgent.

"Droughts are lasting longer, heavy rains and floods are becoming more severe, and the availability of water resources is reaching less predictable levels. Water demand is surging across agriculture, urban centers, industries, and energy systems," he stressed.

He further stated that water demand is growing in agriculture, cities, industry and the energy sector.

Dmitry Mariyasin, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), who also attended the event, underlined that the water agenda has become even more important since 2024.

Vivek Shah, Freshwater Ecosystems and Wetlands Division of the United Nations Environment Program, mentioned that the key objective of the Baku Dialogue initiative is to contribute to defining shared priorities for the international community and partners on the water and climate agenda in the period leading up to COP31.

The roundtable continued with discussions.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov