President Aliyev unveils 2026–2035 state program to overhaul Baku water infrastructure
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has announced the launch of a new state program for 2026–2035 aimed at improving water supply, wastewater, and stormwater systems in Baku and across the Absheron Peninsula.
Speaking at a meeting with officials on Monday, the head of state said the program would become one of Azerbaijan’s most comprehensive infrastructure initiatives, designed to ensure long-term water security for the capital, Sumgayit, the Absheron district, and 64 surrounding settlements, News.Az reports, citing the presidential website.
“Today we will discuss addressing Baku’s and the Absheron Peninsula’s water problems. This is one of the most important issues among the infrastructure projects currently being implemented,” Aliyev said, noting that most core infrastructure challenges across the country have been addressed over the past two decades through successive regional development programs.
Aliyev highlighted major progress in energy, gasification, road construction, and water infrastructure, emphasizing that Azerbaijan has transformed from an energy-deficient country into a net exporter of electricity and natural gas. He said electricity generation capacity now stands at nearly 10,000 megawatts and gasification covers 96 percent of the population.
Turning to water security, Aliyev stressed that the country has built four major reservoirs over the past 20 years with a combined capacity exceeding 500 million cubic meters, including the Takhtakorpu and Shamkirchay reservoirs, which play a critical role in supplying Baku and western regions. He also underlined the reconstruction of key reservoirs in the formerly occupied territories, including Sarsang, Sugovushan, Kondalanchay, Khachinchay, and Zabukhchay, and announced plans to build two new major reservoirs, Hakarichay and Bargushadchay.
“Our goal is to provide the population, industry, and agriculture with a sustainable water supply, protect water sources, increase reservoir capacity, establish full accounting, and accumulate water seasonally for year-round use,” the president said, noting that climate change has made water security an increasingly sensitive issue.
Aliyev underscored that the long-standing water supply challenges of Baku and Absheron require a large-scale and detailed state program, which is now nearly complete. The program is set to run through 2035 and will be financed through a combination of state budget funds and foreign loans.
“The main goal of this program is to provide Baku and the Absheron Peninsula with sustainable drinking water,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan’s low public debt — just over 6 percent of GDP — allows the country to safely attract external financing.
Key targets of the program include the construction of around 30 new reservoirs; raising uninterrupted drinking water coverage from 70 percent to 95 percent; increasing sewerage service coverage from 50 percent to 95 percent; major improvements to water supply in Baku, Sumgayit, the Absheron district, and 64 settlements; the construction and rehabilitation of more than 200 kilometers of main canals and a similar length of distribution networks; and a sharp reduction in water losses, currently estimated at 40–45 percent.
Aliyev said stormwater management would also be significantly upgraded, including the construction of new collector networks on 30 streets in Baku to mitigate flooding during heavy rainfall. All wastewater discharged into the Caspian Sea will be fully treated, and the Hovsan wastewater treatment plant will be modernized and expanded.
He also announced that Azerbaijan will build its first desalination plant, financed entirely by foreign investment, to increase water volumes supplied to Baku and Absheron and create an additional source for irrigation.
Aliyev stressed that the implementation of the program will be subject to strict governmental, presidential, and public oversight.
“The program is designed through 2035. There is enough time, but there must not be a single day of delay,” he said, adding that its progress should be widely covered by the media so residents can track when specific issues are resolved.
During the meeting, Zaur Mikayılov, head of the State Water Resources Agency, briefed President Aliyev on the state program, highlighting the urgent need to modernize Baku’s and Absheron Peninsula’s water and sewage systems, many of which date back to the 1980s and are now operating beyond their intended lifespan.
He pointed out challenges caused by rapid population growth, unplanned construction in protected zones, and outdated rainwater and sewage networks, which have led to overloading, water losses of nearly 46 percent, and incomplete coverage in some areas.
Mikayılov also outlined ongoing and planned projects, including the expansion of water networks, construction of 12 new sewage collectors, modernization of wastewater treatment facilities such as the Hovsan plant, development of desalination capacity, and the introduction of digital monitoring systems to ensure water quality and reduce losses.
He stressed that these measures aim to provide sustainable, high-quality water to the population while aligning with the country’s long-term socio-economic and demographic growth projections.
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