IOM Azerbaijan officially handed over renovated Garasu kahriz located in the Gulbaharli settlement of the Aghdam district to the local community within the current IOM Project “Integrated Rural Development for IDP communities in Azerbaijan through Revitalization of Kahriz Water Supply System” financed by KOICA.

Within the project, IOM Azerbaijan has already renovated 26 kahrizes in Aghdam, Goranboy, Fuzuli, Goygol, and Gazakh districts. The project aims to provide safe and consistent water supplies for people in the region through the renovation of kahrizes – a traditional, sustainable water supply system.

The project’s overall objective is to contribute to the prevention of forced economic migration by enhancing access of rural communities in Azerbaijan to energy-free water resources as a means to increase agriculture productivity and livelihoods through the provision of water infrastructure, by providing opportunities for income-generating activities in link with Kahriz renovation. The project continues to implement a community-driven approach, paying specific attention to cross-cutting issues such as gender, governance, and environmental sustainability.