Baku - IOM Azerbaijan’s “Integrated Rural Development for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Communities in Azerbaijan through Revitalization of the Kahriz Water Supply System” project, financed by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has been selected as the Global Energy Award 2021 winner in Azerbaijan. The Mission’s project in relation to the use of new technology in rehabilitation of the ancient water systems called Kahriz has been chosen among more than 2500 projects aimed at protecting the environment submitted by more than 180 countries to the Energy Globe Award.

The Energy Globe Award is today’s most prestigious environmental award which objective is to present successful sustainable projects to a global audience and to demonstrate that for most of our environmental problems feasible solutions are already available. It is awarded annually to projects saving our environment by personal action, sustainable projects, or campaigns for raising awareness in sustainability. Awards are presented on the national level and on the international level for the 5 categories of Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Youth, and the new special category Sustainable Start-Up. The award was presented by the Austrian Ambassador in Azerbaijan His Excellency Alexander Bayerl and Mr. Georg Karabaczek, the Austrian Trade Commissioner for Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

“We are proud that IOM Azerbaijan’s project within which our team is restoring a very ancient water supply systems – kahrizes with innovative technological method has been chosen as a national winner of the Energy Globe National Award 2021. IOM Azerbaijan’s Kahriz rehabilitation project has already been chosen as a winner of the Energy Globe National Award in the category of Water in 2012, at that time for Kahriz rehabilitation with the manual traditional method. These both awards show the significance and importance of this kind of projects for people and environmental sustainability. With the use of innovative technology, the rehabilitation process of Kahrizes has become more effective and secure. This innovative Kahriz rehabilitation technology has great potential and can be used in rehabilitation and construction of new environmental water supply systems even beyond Azerbaijan,” said Vladimir Gjorgjiev, IOM Azerbaijan Chief of Mission.

The Kahriz rehabilitation project is one of the most crucial and timely activity undertaken by the IOM in Azerbaijan. The Mission has been rehabilitating kahrizes in Azerbaijan since 1998. Since that time 166 kahrizes in different regions of Azerbaijan were rehabilitated within various projects. Building upon IOM’s successful past experiences and unique expertise, the mission currently is implementing the four-year project with financial support of KOICA to provide safe and consistent water supplies for peoples in regions through the renovation of kahrizes, a traditional, sustainable water supply system. As previous ones the current project also continues to implement a community-driven approach, paying specific attention to cross-cutting issues such as gender, governance, and environmental sustainability.

The project implemented by IOM Azerbaijan contributes to Azerbaijan’s efforts to fulfill three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) through: the provision of water for domestic and agricultural needs which has a direct impact on poverty reduction and food security (SDG 1), empowering and involving women into decision making process, increasing their role in the community in terms of leadership (SDG 5), and the rehabilitation of eco-friendly and sustainable water supply systems, kahrizes and enhanced access to safe drinking water (SDG 6).

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