Baku – On April 30th 2024, IOM Azerbaijan organized a closing ceremony at the IOM’ Baku Office for “Integrated Rural Development for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Communities in Azerbaijan through Revitalization of the Kahriz Water Supply System” project funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Representatives of a number of ministries (Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and government agencies (State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Water Resources, Special Representative of the President in the Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districs, Special Representative of the President in Aghdam, Fuzuki and Khojavend districts) UN agencies, embassies, donor and partner organizations, education and civil society organizations, the executive authorities from the community and project staff participated in the event.
In their opening remarks, Mr Amr Taha, Chief of IOM Azerbaijan a.i, Ms. Sulim Hwang, Country Director of KOICA and Ms. Vladanka Andreeva, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan welcomed the participants and spoke about the importance of the project of kahriz rehabilitation for people.
In his opening remarks, Mr Amr Taha, IOM Azerbaijan mentioned that IOM will celebrate it’s 30-year anniversary in Azerbaijan next year and during this year’s IOM achieved much together with their partners. He also mentioned that for 25 years, during the implementation of kahriz renovation, 200 kahrizes were rehabilitated in Azerbaijan.
In her speech, Ms. Hwang Sulim, Country Director of the KOICA, emphasized the importance of inclusive development and expressed gratitude to all partners involved in the project. She noted that this project, with a budget of USD 4,420,000 marks KOIKA’s Second Kahriz Revitalization Project in cooperation with International Organization for Migration. 
After the opening speeches, Mr. Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (Primary government counterpart) Mr. Ali Aliyev, Chairman of the Board of Geological Survey Agency under thebMinistry of Ecology and Natural Resources (Chair of the Kahriz Working Group) and Mr. Marat Kangarlinski, Head of Humanitarian and Social Issues Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (COP29 Presidency initiative on Water) also talked about the project and mentioned about importantance of Kahrizes in current situation with climate change. 

Mr. Mahammad Ibrahimov, Project assistant had the presentation about the Kahrizes where he gave general information about the project, alignment of project with governmental priorities and overview of activities. He also showed pictures of rehabilitated Kharizes, innovated technologies that has been used during rehabilitation. 

Mr.Ibrahimov’s presentation followed by Q&A, where ceremony participants asked questions about project implementation and future steps. 
At the end of the conference the participants had lunch in IOM Azerbaijan Terrace.