Baku - On 29 June 2022, the Chief of IOM Mission to Azerbaijan Vladimir Gjorgjiev participated at the international conference on the subject of "Promoting partnerships and activities in the sustainable management of water resources" organized by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources with the support of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the Karabakh Revival Fund.

The conference held in the "Smart Village" residential massive built in Agali village of the regained Zangilan district was organized in a hybrid format with the participation of representatives of the government agencies, diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan, members of influential international organizations and experts.

In general, the event focused on the mobilization of efforts to achieve the goals and objectives of sustainable development in the field of water resources, the establishment of international dialogue to address this issue globally and regionally, the establishment of partnerships in a cross-border context.

The Chief of IOM Azerbaijan during his presentation informed the participants about Kahriz Rehabilitation project and its main component of the Integrated Rural Development - one of the Mission’s main projects funded by KOICA which objective is to contribute to the prevention of forced economic migration by enhancing access of IDPs’ communities in Azerbaijan to energy free water resources as a means to increase agriculture productivity and livelihoods through provision of water infrastructure, by providing opportunities for income generating activities in link with Kahriz renovation. The project which will provide drinking and irrigation water to 8 thousand families in different regions of Azerbaijan also implements a community-driven approach, paying specific attention to cross-cutting issues such as gender, governance, and environmental sustainability.